When you think of visionary cinema, you think of director Ang Lee. The Oscar winner has spent the last decade or so of his career pushing the limits of camera technique, high-speed frame rates, and optical possibility, and he’s going to continue to push those boundaries once his latest film, “Gemini Man,” hits theaters this fall.
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We now have our first look at the project, which promises to be a return to form for Lee and perhaps a boost for star Will Smith, who has struggled this decade to command the audiences he’s been accustomed to for his blockbuster work.
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The visual panache looks on point here, as does Lee’s knack for staging high-octane thrill rides that immerse you into the moment. His 2003 ahead-of-its-time adaptation of the Incredible Hulk is beginning to find the audience it deserved upon release. This is Lee’s first foray into more of a genre-filled affair since that ill-fated film, as he’s opted for more dramatic fare since (though his 2012 Oscar winner “Life of Pie” certainly had its suspenseful flairs). With “Gemini Man,” Lee should be right at home with his directorial strengths.
Our resident awards expert Gregory Ellwood was on hand in Vegas for the new film’s CineamCon presentation earlier this month and had this to offer on the film’s plot.
“Gemini Man’s” premise is quite simple. Henry Brogen (Smith) is an assassin who discovers that 25 years earlier, his genes were used to create an exact close of himself. He must now fight a younger version of himself who has been instructed to kill him. Smith plays both roles with visual effects being used to de-age him for his 23-year-old clone. In the footage screened they chase each other on motorcycles and fight in an abandoned warehouse or building. The sizzle reel includes the moment the older Henry realizes his younger self is after him. It also suggests that Clay Varis (Clive Owen) is behind the decades-long strategy to take Henry down. Mary Elizabeth Winstead seemingly plays a sympathetic associate of the older Henry.
And that’s pretty much it. Simple enough, right?
Well, not in its release strategy; that seems pretty complex. Paramount Pictures is going all out for the distribution on this one, equipping theaters with proper projection technology for the extra high-frame rate and 3D advances. This film should be a must-see in luxury formats, like Dolby Atmos and IMAX.
Here’s Ang Lee’s statement about the film that focuses on the boundary-pushing technology used to make the movie:
“This story is not one that could have been told with cinema as we know it. However, thanks to incredible new digital technology, not only can we finally see both younger and older Will Smith embodied together on screen, but we can also experience the story in a deeply immersive way. It is my great fortune to be able to experiment and test the limits of what new digital cinema has to offer us. No less so to be able to work with two Will Smiths – One beautifully sophisticated, the other exuberantly honest. In my opinion, this is Will at his very best, and when the two come together, it is something truly magical. Further, the immense effort and technical skill of the crew in creating a new aesthetic, between the cinematography, art department, visual effects, and technical team, was both inspiring and heartwarming. I truly hope that this movie delivers a completely new theatrical cinematic experience to audiences across the world.”
Here’s Will Smith’s statement.
“The emotional and physical challenges of making this film have been the most demanding of my career. Ang is pushing the limits to give people an experience in the movie theater that you can’t get anywhere else. This is not only an action film, but an exploration of what one’s younger self can ultimately teach one’s older self. I’m 50-years-old now, and the irony of becoming 23-year-old Junior in this film is that 23-year-old me wouldn’t have been ready for this experience or to take on this role. Our hope is that this story provides something for everyone — never before seen cinematic wizardry, nuanced, relatable characters, and next-level action.”
After suffering a bit of a setback with his failed Oscar hopeful “Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk,” Lee is due for a rebound, as is Smith, who could see two in one year if his magic carpet ride trip to co-star in Disney’s “Aladdin” proves successful. Both guys could use a win, and audiences across the globe should be happy benefactors should this film soar like it has the potential to.
We’ll know soon enough if this collaboration has the goods when it opens on Oct. 11.