“I’d realize that I could fly. No, that’s not quite right. I’d realize that there was no reason I couldn’t fly.”
The following doesn’t serve greatly as a synopsis. The events and sentiments of the film truly need to be seen to be believed. The premise alone is fascinating: man has adverse reaction to drug trial – man believes he has super powers – chaos ensues. Later finding out what the drug was intended for makes the whole conflict even more intriguing. This starting concept is well aided (which is not so commonly the case) by the visual technique. The filmmaking serves to communicate the character, not to overwhelm the viewer with flashy nonsense. The few special effects that are used serve to put a bend on the mind, causing you to wonder even after all the “facts” have been presented which version of reality is the accurate one.
But these are nuts and bolts items and not the gut of the film. This is about what the mind can do — his mind, yours, the druggist, the businessman, the filmmaker — and the realms of possibility we thrive in. All we do is based on concepts of possibility: our jobs, our hobbies, our loves. Whether reading comic books or watching films, these are models for living as much as a model of. Which then takes us to the concepts of joy and madness. Which proceeds the other? which is worth sacrificing, worth tolerating? which do we strive for in our wildest notions and, knowing what’s out there, what prevents us from donning that white jumpsuit or printing our own business cards or talking to the lady we most admire?
There’s a phrase used far too often, “Dress for the job you want, not the job you have.” In many cases, we can choose to exist in the world we want instead of the world we have. It’s not necessarily a matter of loosing oneself in a deranged wasteland, though the full hearted pursuit of passion may seem uncompromisingly delusion to someone on the outside. It is a matter of throwing the whole self into something that may not always be easily understood by others. To know the possibility, the honest desire of heart and mind, must surely be the road map to victory, no matter how bumpy. And with the spirit in motion, surely the body must follow.
Nothing is easy on the path of earnestness and conviction. But when the nay-sayers come around, you can remember Les’ great words to the angry suit :
“Your forcefield is good, but my teleporting is better.”
