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 enlarge | Director: Joby Harold
Actors: Terrence Howard, Fisher Stevens, Arliss Howard, Hayden Christensen, Sam Robards
Studio: The Weinstein Company
Category: DVD
List Price: $28.95
Buy Used: $2.95
You Save: $26.00 (90%)
New (59) Used (55) Collectible (1) from $2.95
Rating:  41 reviews
Sales Rank: 12018
Format: Ntsc, Subtitled, Widescreen
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled)
Rating: R (Restricted)
Region: 1
Number Of Discs: 1
Running Time: 84 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.3 x 0.6
MPN: WEID81067D
UPC: 796019810678
EAN: 0796019810678
ASIN: B0010X740A
Theatrical Release Date: 2007
Release Date: March 4, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: dvd has marks and wear but plays great,excellent movie with jessica alba,faster shipping, happy holidays.
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| Customer Reviews:
 A Thriller That Ultimately Fails To Thrill... March 17, 2008
Justice0309 (Joplin, MO USA)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I want to start things off by saying that from the viewpoint of someone who just had a surgery where the doctor's put you under for the procedure the phenomenon known as "anesthetic awareness", which served as the focal point for the recent release "Awake" was a somewhat disturbing concept that I didn't want to experience. Prior to my surgery (and it was a very minor one, mind you) I knew the movie "Awake" starring Hayden Christensen and Jessica Alba was being released on DVD, and I was wanting to see it; however, I had heard the critics say that this movie did for surgeries what "Jaws" did for swimming in the ocean. So, needless to say, I chose to wait until after the procedure to view this movie, but after I watched it I wished I would have just chosen a different movie to spend my time and money on.
"Awake" is the story of a rich tycoon named Clayton, (Hayden Christensen) who must undergo a heart transplant due to a heart condition. Not one for leaving possible unfinished business in his life behind should the surgery not be successful, Clayton decides to marry his girlfriend (Jessica Alba), attempt to make peace with his mother (Lena Olin), and get all his other affairs in order. While everything leading up to the surgery seems to be going off without a hitch, once in the operating room Clayton quickly discovers things are a disturbingly different story. After the anesthesia renders Clayton unconscious he soon realizes that his body is paralyzed, but his mind is very much awake, and fully aware of all that is occurring to his body during the procedure. As if the intensely horrible pain wasn't enough to contend with, Clayton begins to hear the doctor's discussing the very thing no patient ever wants to hear their wish to purposely cause the procedure to fail therefore killing the young man. As his time draws short, Clayton must desperately struggle to send out any kind of outward sign of his impending doom or all hope is lost.
I had hoped that "Awake" would be a thoroughly engaging medical thriller that would live up to the promise that critic Frank Scheck of the Hollywood Reporter had made stating, "Awake does for operations what Jaws did for the beach", or that it would be "completely absorbing" as Roger Ebert had felt it was. However, to me it was a boring drama that I couldn't wait to finish and it would have had no redeeming factors whatsoever if not for a couple of clever plot twists that made the latter half of the film somewhat more bearable. For first time director and writer Joby Harold it was a nice try, and the subject matter was an intriguing choice, the cast was strong, and the dialogue was mostly well-written; but the execution of the material was less than stellar. Maybe the director's next effort, whatever that may be, will have better luck and pacing.
The talented cast led by Hayden Christensen ("Star Wars - Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith"), Jessica Alba ("Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer"), and Terrence Howard ("Four Brothers") is very good for the most part, but their rather capable talents alone are not enough to keep this movie interesting to me. Out of the cast the only possible weak link was star Hayden Christensen, for the most part he did a very good job, but there were a few points where his dialogue seemed forced, although he made up for those moments with his voicing of his internal thoughts for the audience during the painful surgical procedure. Those moments were not only painful to watch, but also to hear his reactions as he tries in vain to fight through the pain and to think about anything other than what is happening to his body. Jessica Alba and Terrence Howard were very convincing as the caring new wife and the doctor who claims to be Clayton's friend, but hides the sinister secret of plotting his impending murder. But sometimes in movies a strong cast is not enough to overcome other weaknesses that can plague a film.
The story features an interesting subject matter, as I've stated already, but it lacks any feeling of momentum to propel the story onward. For the first half of the movie, I was really bored and tempted to quit watching the movie altogether; then the major turning point in the plot occurs and the movie became a little more interesting. Even with the somewhat more enticing second half of the movie, the momentum still seemed a bit lacking and the mostly solid performances were not adequate in helping the story find its proper pacing. Perhaps some better editing choices could have helped the pacing of the story, or maybe some snappier dialogue earlier on, who knows, but something was sorely lacking in the story department.
"Awake" could have been a gripping thriller that would have left the audience on the edge of their seats, and made them leave the theater dreading hospital visits. However, the mostly strong performances on behalf of the actors, a decent story, and intriguing subject matter were not enough to overcome the incredibly slow pacing and dull points that filled the first half of the film and popped up once in a while in the latter half as well. So to me, any lasting effect the film could have had on me was lost due to boredom and an overall lack of interest in the outcome of the film.
"Awake" is rated R for disturbing images, language, and sexuality.
 Great One Watch Movie March 12, 2008
Kellery Beason (Ohio)
2 out of 4 found this review helpful
The movie has a great cast that put together a movie with a pretty descent plot. Starts out slow but is definetly worth watching.
You won't be awake March 10, 2008
JD (Provo, Utah USA)
1 out of 3 found this review helpful
Awake isn't a good movie. The premise is fallible and the script straight out of a soap opera.
The movie follows Clay. He has a domineering mother he can't stand up to and a beautiful girl he keeps hidden on the side. He also has a bad heart and a rare blood type. The story follows his relationship with his girlfriend and to some degree his mother and surgeon-friend as the story leads up to the movies only real selling point - the surgery and the instance of "anesthesia awareness" that follows. Unfortunately the story really doesn't do this event any sort of justice and glosses over it with Clay having a sort of mind-over-body moment and then his spirit leaving his body and cruising around the hospital eavesdropping on conversations.
There is more to it, some plot twists you may or may not have seen coming and a finale that is anything but exciting. My advice, skip the movie and read the spoilers.
3.5 Stars for a surprisingly interesting film. March 10, 2008
Steven Hedge (Somewhere "East of Eden")
20 out of 27 found this review helpful
Better than I had expected, but certainly not top-notch entertainment.
"Awake" is not an wholly original idea as Stephen King explored this idea in one of his short stories in which a person is mistakenly believed to be dead and is about to undergo his own autopsy. Here someone undergoes surgery while still awake and learns who his friends really are and aren't. Read the synopsis by Amazon as they did a very good and fair job. I'm going to take the real lazy way out this time and just go to my hits and misses.
Misses:
1. Too slow at points. There is a lot of exposition (with good reason), but it is still a lot of exposition.
2. The acting is not consistent. Some are terrific and others are flat.
3. So many plot twists that one just can't give this film the "willing suspension of disbelief" that it needs.
4. It moves from romance to health crisis, to scientific wonders, to absolute fantasy. It attempts to cover too many genres. That whole out of body sequence is clever, but just way out of place in this film. It's like Brian's Song meets What Dreams May Come.
Hits:
1. While not completely original (Sublime had many elements here), it is in it's own way. It is a very interesting film and it does have a few very good surprises.
2. Jessica Alba is finally in a role that isn't so cutesy. I thought she way quite convincing in her role.
3. Hayden Christensen is better than usual, but that may not be too big of a compliment.
4. Terrance Howard and Arliss Howard are always a pleasure to see, even if they are phoning in their performances for a quick paycheck.
5. This film is a short 84 minutes, so even if it isn't all you wanted or expected, it is short.
6. bloopers are hysterically funny.
I got a mild kick out of this film. I wouldn't recommend anyone to actually go see this in the theaters, but it's a good rental film.
Silly March 10, 2008
Grady Harp (Los Angeles, CA United States)
7 out of 7 found this review helpful
AWAKE would be better named 'audience wake up' as the minimal novel idea of the story loses credibility so quickly that the development of the subplots become increasingly tedious and silly. Joby Harold both wrote and directed this film and despite the presence of some fine actors, the film remains grounded.
Clay Beresford (Hayden Christensen) has inherited his dead father's multi-billion dollar fortune and shares the wealth and control of his empire with his domineering mother Lilith (Lena Olin). Clay apparently has a genetically determined cardiac pathology, is medicated, and awaits a heart transplant. The only semblance of honest life Clay has is his love for his mother's secretary Sam (Jessica Alba) who, despite Lilith's objections, marries Clay after disclosing their relationship. Clay's beeper warning that a cardiac donor is available cuts short their night of honeymoon and Clay is rushed to the hospital to his constant friend, Dr. Jack Harper (Terrence Howard), who just happens to be a heart transplant surgeon and who Clay prefers over Dr. Neyer (Arliss Howard), the superior cardiac surgeon friend of his mother who has been the designated surgeon all along. The gimmick of the film is 'anesthetic awareness', a state of anesthesia when the patient is paralyzed but aware of the talk in the OR as well as the pain of the surgery. What Clay hears 'under anesthesia is a ridiculous, convoluted plot involving all the people he thought he could trust and about which he can do nothing: in order to keep the storyline rolling, the script gives him an out of body experience so that Clay can be his own detective in solving the myriad discrepancies of his situation. The ending is very predicable and begs viewer indulgence.
Perhaps the credibility of this story would have been better if the director and actors had paid more attention to OR technique: walking into an OR in street clothes, handling patients without gloves or masks, allowing outsiders to enter the OR during a transplant procedure, beginning surgery without documentation of complete anesthesia or before the donor heart arrives, etc. etc. etc. are such breaches of surgical rules that even the casual viewer of TV medical dramas knows. But the real problem with the script is that we are left caring very little for any of the characters, despite the fact the roles are assigned to some heavy hitters! Sadly, the movie is just silly. Grady Harp, March 08
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