Rent Marjorie Prime (2017)

Thoughtful - Marjorie Prime review by JH

I found this a quiet and thoughtful play on memories, how they differ between people and form an identity.

This is Sci-Fi, given the AI hologram 'primes' the feature throughout -- an entirely believable technology -- however the tech here really just kick starts the discussion of memories between the cast of characters and how they differ in interacting with tech.

A very dialogue heavy film and quite the slow burner, but nevertheless I found myself quite engaged and the taught string-led score created a bit of hypnotic atmosphere.

You don't see a lot of films like this being made and as such I really enjoyed the refreshing take on the theme of human vs machine.

Wasted potential - Marjorie Prime review by DT

This was a thought provoking story which unfortunately doesn’t quite translate to the screen. It made sense when I found out it was based on a play and it is probably best suited for that format.

The film is almost entirely shot as simple conversations - over the shoulder reverse shots, wide 2-shots - and not much else to pull the viewer in. I found the story interesting but only because I struggled and forced myself. The usually great cast is wasted here too. They feel synthetic and artificial both in human and AI form.

As for the story, the ideas presented had me thinking afterwards. The way memory works, how it fades with time and new, but not necessarily accurate memories are formed from the stories we tell each other. Traumatic memories are repressed but surface every now and then. This provided some satisfaction but not nearly enough for me to recommend. If anything, go and see the play.

Theatrical drudgery - Marjorie Prime review by Alphaville

This travesty of cinema is based on a stage play and looks like it. Deliberately worded and acted, its emphasis is on script and thespianism rather than any visual interest. As such, it lacks naturalism and dynamism, which renders it slow and contrived. What passes for action takes place mostly on one set (a house) and the talking heads are filmed with a mostly static camera. As to what they have to say, you could fast forward whole screeds of it and miss nothing. The stagey dialogue often goes nowhere.

Many critics give it a good rating, but only because of the actorly performances. There’s a germ of an idea here, but cinema it ain’t. If you’re not convinced, watch the trailer, which opens with the one brief and unnecessary nude scene, as if the distributors know that what follows is backside-numbing.