Swan Song (2021)

It's hard to be left behind.

An interesting concept about human cloning. It's a story about a terminally-ill husband who underwent a procedure to have his clone took over his life.

Although there's multiple concepts introduced, like human cloning and whether it can replace human, this was actually the weakest part of the movie because they weren't dived into much. However, at least this movie still knew what it wanted the most: a calm and heartbreaking look at a man trying to accept his own fate. Like Little Fish (2021), there were multiple flashbacks of memories that the characters shared that made you understood what main character had to lose. Here, however, Ali's character would lose the future memories, and it's definitely hard to accept that. Gosh the last 15 minutes was incredibly emotional and heartbreaking.

Performance-wise, Ali was phenomenal. Although he had little outburst of emotion, his reflective facial expressions still emitted just as much pain. He was the center of the movie and he sure carried it all the way. Awkwafina and Glenn Close didn't have as much screen time to be significant.

Overall, even though it had problems, Swan Song was still emotionally investing. 8.5/10.

Fmovies: It's a good movie. However, I felt it was more of a heartfelt love and sacrifice story than a science fiction film. It has really good acting performances, the sets and the cinematography are beautiful. But for science fiction it had some illogical points that didn't make sense. I don't think both Camerons should have met, but supposedly they have the technology to erase the clones memory of the original Cameron.. But it didn't stop me from enjoying the film. I would watch it again. I felt the courtship in the very beginning of the movie was very romantic.

There are a fair number of talented actors in this film. But over all, due to either script or direction, this film lacks any entertainment value. It is also a very shallow dive into the issues it raises. The supposed conflict has to be explained by the characters, which is always a bad sign. Film should show, not tell. Also the films pacing feels sluggish and drawn out. Overall it is a Lifetime Network level film.

Also of the three positive reviews, two are single use accounts, where the only activity by the account is to give this manifestly mediocre film a glowing review. They both seem to be created by the third positive reviewers account. That is shilly.

3/10 at best.

Swan Song fmovies. Imagine there's a clone, who's now living in your home, a perfect doppelganger, taken straight from the lab's hanger. It's a sympathetic swap, as your time has come to drop, all your family need to know, is you'll never let them go.

Beautifully performed by some gorgeous people; it may well get you reflecting on what you would do under similar circumstances and concluding nothing even remotely similar - even if the option was available.

'Swan Song' doesn't dig as deep as I thought it might have, though it is still a film I found to be intriguing.

It has a fab cast list, with Mahershala Ali producing the goods in the lead role. Naomie Harris, Awkwafina, Glenn Close and Adam Beach also feature. I kinda feel like I wanted to see more of them, though that could just be as actors - rather than their characters, who are shown enough.

This 2021 film holds a lot of heart so it's difficult not to attach yourself to the story, in that regard I particularly enjoyed the ending. It's a slow burn but never drags. 3* for me, it's worth a sit through I'd say.

This is newb filmmaker Benjamin Cleary first full length feature film debut, with less than a handful of prior shorts, and he sure did hit this one out of the ballpark, especially considering his inexperience.

Was it perfect? Absolutely not. My main issues are that this film was too long at 112 mins, that felt longer with the slow pacing and dragged out/unnecessary scenes. I can't stand slowly paced films, yet this one had to be for it to work. I just wish there was more substance with less filler to fill in the runtime, or edit out at least 15 mins.

I will say though that Cleary's story was delicate, intelligent, engaging, immersive and very thought provoking, with the perfect amount of sci-fi to compliment the psychological drama and romance. If you're expecting a hard core sci-fi, you will be disappointed. However if you're a fan of the show, it was right out of the "Black Mirror" playbook. It was told with emotionally character-driven sincerity and intrigue, rather than the typical gimmicks, and that's what makes this film a stand-out. Yes, I would've wanted more Hollywood thrills, suspense and action, but that would've impacted the storie's dynamics negatively. Cleary's directing was also impressively excellent, as was the cinematography and score. All casting and performances were near perfection, especially Ali's.

If you're like me, you may start getting bored with the story and it's pacing; be patient, as the last act will make it all worthwhile and leave knots in your throat and stomach. I do wonder though, if the dog will ever warm up to the Swan Song remix. It's a well deserved standing ovation for Clearly and his talented cast, and a 8/10 from me.