Final Cut

While it works better as a somber mood piece than a futuristic thriller, The Final Cut posits a unique what-if scenario that some viewers will find fascinating. In a role that calls for his low-key One Hour Photo persona, Robin Williams plays an expert "cutter" who's in demand for his ability to distill anyone's lifetime into a feature-length "rememory" film that highlights the better side of anyone's nature. His profession is made possible by the "Zoe" chip, a prenatal brain implant capable of recording a person's entire lifetime--a technology opposed by a former cutter (Jim Caviezel) and puzzled over by Williams' on-and-off girlfriend (Mira Sorvino). First-time writer-director Omar Naim divided critics with his impressive visual style and lackluster screenplay, which fails to account for the larger implications of the Zoe chip's exploitation. Still, the film contains several intriguing ideas that place it among other sci-fi films like Gattaca, suggesting one of the many potential controversies that await us in a future where ethics and technology are not always compatible. --Jeff Shannon