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Movies / On DVD / Awake
Awake

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Awake (2007)

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Reviews Counted:54

Fresh:13

Rotten:41

Average Rating:4.3/10

Consensus: Awake has an interesting premise but would have benefited from tighter performances and more efficient direction and editing.

Rated: 15 [See Full Rating] for language, an intense disturbing situation, and brief drug use.

Runtime: 84 mins

Genre: Dramas

Theatrical Release:04-04-2008

Synopsis: Writer/director Joby Harold's debut feature, AWAKE, is an unsettling thriller that highlights a deeply troubling medical problem. "Anesthetic awareness" is a rare but dangerously prevalent... Writer/director Joby Harold's debut feature, AWAKE, is an unsettling thriller that highlights a deeply troubling medical problem. "Anesthetic awareness" is a rare but dangerously prevalent condition that affects nearly 30,000 individuals a year, in which patients who have been put under anesthesia before surgery remain paralyzed while still being aware of their present situation. AWAKE tells the story of Clayton Beresford Jr. (Hayden Christensen), a successful young businessman who lives under the roof of his overbearing mother, Lilith (Lena Olin). Afraid to expose his engagement to Lilith's beautiful assistant, Sam Lockwood (Jessica Alba), Clayton decides to do so when he realizes that, thanks to a rare heart condition, he might not live much longer. His best friend and personal surgeon, Jack Harper (Terrence Howard), supports his decision to take the plunge, and also advises him to get a much-needed heart transplant as soon as a donor is found. After he marries Sam, a donor arrives, but when Clayton is put under to receive the complicated surgery, he is shocked to discover that he's still cognizant of everything that is happening to him. As he fights through the pain to hear the doctors' voices, the more he learns about his best friend and his new wife, adding further trauma to an already horrendous situation. Featuring standout performances from the film's principal cast (Christensen, Alba, Howard), as well as its supporting players (Olin, Fisher Stevens, Christopher McDonald), AWAKE is a tense journey through the mind of an innocent man who's on the verge of losing his lease on life. [More]

Starring: Jessica Alba, Hayden Christensen, Terrence Howard, Lena Olin

Starring: Jessica Alba, Hayden Christensen, Terrence Howard, Lena Olin, Sam Robards, Arliss Howard, Fisher Stevens

Director: Joby Harold

Director: Joby Harold
Screenwriter: Joby Harold
Producer: Joana Vicente, Jason Kliot, John Penotti, Fisher Stevens
Composer: Graeme Revell
Studio: Weinstein Company

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Reviews for Awake

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21 - 40 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 >> >|
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Waking up during major surgery would be horrible. Waking up during surgery and being forced to watch Awake would be truly ghastly.

Full Review Source: ReelTalk Movie Reviews | comment Comment
12/05/07
John P. McCarthy
John P. McCarthy
ReelTalk Movie Reviews

Will he wake up? Will he die? Will his voice-over ever stop? Will the pain, the infernal pain, of this insufferable film ever end? All is revealed within 78 minutes, but it's doubtful you'll be awake.

Full Review Source: E! Online | comment 1 Comment
12/03/07
Tod Goldberg
Tod Goldberg
E! Online

With a couple of more drafts to mend the plot holes and restructure the middle act, Awake could have been saved.

Full Review Source: Globe and Mail | comment 1 Comment
12/03/07
Liam Lacey
Liam Lacey
Globe and Mail

The movie plays like three different stories stuck together with old chewing gum. We're going to guess that a committee did the final edit. We're going to suggest that you skip this one.

Full Review Source: Jam! Movies | comment 1 Comment
12/03/07
Liz Braun
Liz Braun
Jam! Movies

[Joby] Harold's script has a surprise or three in it, a biggy near the end. But he's a director with no poker face. He tips his hand early and often.

Full Review Source: Orlando Sentinel | comment Comment
12/03/07
Roger Moore
Roger Moore
Orlando Sentinel

I'm sure if I saw Awake again, I'd find plot holes you could drive a monster truck through but, on first viewing, I thought it was slick, goofy entertainment.

Full Review Source: St. Paul Pioneer Press | comment 1 Comment
12/03/07
Chris Hewitt (St. Paul)
Chris Hewitt (St. Paul)
St. Paul Pioneer Press

Awake is a pleasing if negligible diversion.

Full Review Source: Washington Post | comment 1 Comment
12/03/07
Stephen Hunter
Stephen Hunter
Washington Post

It's not a great movie by any means, but as a throwaway thriller with a terrific mid-movie twist, it's not bad way to spend 84 minutes.

Full Review Source: Film Journal International | comment 2 Comments
12/03/07
Frank Lovece
Frank Lovece
Film Journal International

The plot has more holes in it than a tea bag and the film should come with a warning label: don't go see with anyone with even a modicum of medical knowledge, because they'll surely spend the film huffing and rolling their eyes skyward.

Full Review Source: Toronto Star | comment 1 Comment
12/03/07
Bruce Demara
Bruce Demara
Toronto Star

If you have an ax to grind with someone who harbors a morbid fear of surgery, you couldn't design a better revenge than taking them to see Awake.

Full Review Source: Newsday | comment Comment
12/03/07
Jan Stuart
Jan Stuart
Newsday

apart from the squirm-inducing premise, there’s not much else going on in the movie.

Full Review Source: Sean the Movie Guy | comment 1 Comment
12/02/07
Sean McBride
Sean McBride
Sean the Movie Guy

an exercise in dramatic paralysis.

Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | comment 1 Comment
12/02/07
Jesse Hassenger
Jesse Hassenger
Filmcritic.com

Possibly the worst movie of 2007, and certainly the worst movie ever made featuring the spirits of dying people discussing their futures and sharing mortal flashbacks.

Full Review Source: New York Daily News | comment 1 Comment
12/02/07
Jack Mathews
Jack Mathews
New York Daily News

The movie tries going for a laugh or two. It even makes stabs at irony. But since none of the story is suspenseful, remotely believable, or, at the very least, cheaply entertaining, who cares?

Full Review Source: Boston Globe | comment 1 Comment
12/02/07
Wesley Morris
Wesley Morris
Boston Globe

Awake is filled with risible medical behavior (the sterility of the operating room is repeatedly compromised) and a horizontal Mr. Christensen screaming variations on "Oh no, I can feel that!"

Full Review Source: New York Times | comment 1 Comment
12/02/07
Jeannette Catsoulis
Jeannette Catsoulis
New York Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Debuting writer-director Joby Harold’s thriller does have an attention-getting plot hook, but piles on too many narrative gimmicks to maintain suspense or credibility.

Full Review Source: Variety | comment 1 Comment
12/02/07
Dennis Harvey
Dennis Harvey
Variety
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The way characters interact with each other and the manner in which the master plan unfolds will stretch the credulity of even the most generous viewer.

Full Review Source: ReelViews | comment 1 Comment
12/02/07
James Berardinelli
James Berardinelli
ReelViews

Sometimes in their urgency to prevent critics from seeing their dreck, film companies throw out the baby with the bathwater. Such is the case with this nifty little thriller.

Full Review Source: Hollywood Reporter | comment 1 Comment
12/02/07
Frank Scheck
Frank Scheck
Hollywood Reporter
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Accuracy is not the point. Suspense is. And from the moment Clay realizes he is not fully under anesthesia and can hear and feel everything that is happening, the movie had me.

Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times | comment 8 Comments
12/02/07
Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Awake manages a weak pulse for a time but dies ultimately in its makers' hands.

Full Review Source: Boxoffice Magazine | comment 1 Comment
12/02/07
Jay Antani
Jay Antani
Boxoffice Magazine
 
 
21 - 40 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 >> >|
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