Tom Cruise never tires of jumpsuits, does he? Not even in 2077. So, we meet Jack Harper in a New York that existed before he was born. Staring at an exotic-looking woman (Olga Kurylenko), he says, “I’m with you, but I don’t know your name”. Six decades after our planet was destroyed by invaders, Jack and Victoria (Andrea Riseborough) are among several teams engaged in destroying Scavengers - masked creatures that appear to be impersonating Darth Vader.
Living in temporary, but sophisticated, lodgings, these denizens of a space station are scheduled to migrate to Titan in two weeks. These folks, whom we assume are the survivors of whatever disaster destroyed the world, have all the trappings of a cult. They wear uniforms, live in isolation, use phrases like “effective team”, have rituals such as a “mandatory memory wipe”, and greet each other with “How are you on this lovely morning?” and reply “Another day in Paradise”. Naturally, a film with such stock phrases - and based on a graphic novel - must be dystopian. And naturally, Jack’s last days of snooping around the earth are going to be revelatory. The first revelation comes in the form of lines from the poem Horatius by Thomas B Macaulay - those oft-repeated lines practically contain the end. While the film doesn’t break any ground in the sci-fi genre, it feeds us enough information in the right doses to keep us interested.
Of course, the costumes are ridiculous, and one feels rather sorry for Morgan Freeman, essaying one of his tackiest roles to date. Of course, the intelligent frowns on the characters’ faces, and the repeated emphasis that the film’s past is our future (what with relics from the 2017 Super Bowl) get rather trite. Of course, we waste some time on the completely unnecessary, but obligatory, lovemaking sequence. Of course, the characters waste even more precious time suiting up before they head to combat. And, of course, Hollywood can’t keep NASA out of a space film, even one set in 2077.
However, the film’s USP is its cinematography. It isn’t confined to futuristic modules and dark skies. There are various landscapes, each stoked to life by Claudio Miranda’s brilliant camera work. While the story isn’t the most original seen on screen, its look is riveting. We can barely figure out what is real, and what is computer-generated.
The first half of the film is quite engaging, making us search for the effects of the humans’ apparent Pyrrhic Victory over the aliens. What ties Jack’s recurring dreams to the increased activity of the Scavengers? However, when the answers start coming in, the film settles into the conventional mould, and we grow gradually detached. It appears all the actors - even poor Morgan Freeman - believe in their roles, and that bolsters the plot somewhat. Even so, the film loses steam midway.
The Verdict: Oblivion is worth a watch, mainly for the texture of its cinematography.