Summary
Inifinite is an action fiction movie released in 2021 that is directed by Antoine Fuqua. The movie is an adaptation of D. Eric Maikranz’s 2009 novel The Reincarnationist Papers. The plot revolves around the idea of reincarnation with a dash of blockbuster action.
The plot depicts Evan McCauley (Mark Wahlberg) as a man struggling with intense hallucinations of places he has never visited and skills he has never learnt. He was diagnosed with schizophrenia at a young age and due to Evan’s societal perception, he has faced self doubt, poverty and mental illness for a large part of his life. Everything changes, however while trying to illegaly access his prescribed medication, he gets arrested.
Evan, during his interrogation, is suddenly contacted by a shadowy group which claims to know why he has visions. It turns out, Evan is not mentally ill, but he is what they label as an “Infinite,” which is a subclass of humans who can reincarnate through centuries while retaining all past memories in lifelike detail. Infinites are divided into two factions: ‘Believers’ see their skills as a booned humanity that needs to be preserved, while ‘Nihilists’ consider the endless cycle of reincarnation a curse, and want to end all life to prevent the repetitive loop.
Evan learns that in his previous reincarnation, he was a significant figure among the believers. He possessed an incredibly powerful device known as the Egg, which has the capacity of terminating life on Earth. The Nihilists are led by Bathurst (Chiwetel Ejiofor), who is crazed to kill for it, to permanently abolish existence.
While Evan regains bits and pieces of his memories, he collaborates with the Believers, consisting of Nora Brightman, a character played by Sophie Cookson, and Garrick who is played by Liz Carr, to prevent Bathurst from completing his doomsday-worthy blueprint. The entire globe serves as the backdrop for their epic escapades — from heart-pounding car chases to breathtaking journeys through ancient temples. Meanwhile, Bathurst is not the only adversary Evan must grapple with; the remnants of his psyche also present a formidable challenge.
In the end, Evan must fully relive the memories of his older selves in order to emerge the hero he once was and ensure humanity’s survival.
Cast & Crew
Mark Wahlberg as Evan McCauley
Wahlberg anchors the film with a performance that fuses the brute force of an action hero with vulnerability. His embodiment of a man grappling with his identity and life’s purpose centers the emotional core of the movie, though some critics take issue with his heavier reliance on action motifs instead of character nuance.
Chiwetel Ejiofor as Bathurst
The main antagonist of the movie, Bathurst, is played by Chiwetel Ejiofor, who offers a strong, fearsome performance. Ejiofor emotionalizes the character, presenting Bathurst as a tired monster wanting to escape the pain of perpetual rebirths.
Sophie Cookson as Nora Brightman
As a guide for Evan in the universe of the Believers, Cookson provides Nora with bits of strength, intelligence, and loyalty, helping serve as an emotional ballast for Evan.
Jason Mantzoukas as The Artisan
Providing comic relief is Jason Mantzoukas as The Artisan, a quirky Believer whose genius is undercut by his unpredictability and adds some humor to the narrative.
Rupert Friend as Bathurst (Past Life)
In previous incarnations, Friend depicts Bathurst, giving a frightening depiction of the villain’s unrelenting unyielding nature.
Director: Antoine Fuqua
Bringing his unique style of Kinetic action to Infinite, Antoine Fuqua, known for Training Day, The Equalizer, and Southpaw, focuses more on creating large-scale action set pieces and stylish set pieces as opposed to a more contained narrative.
Writers: Ian Shorr (screenplay), Todd Stein (story)
The story is adapted from Maikranz’s novel, and the screenplay does retain some elements, but the complex reincarnation lore is modified to fit a more cinematic standards of an action film.
Music: Harry Gregson-Williams
With a grand sweeping energy, exuberating the intensity and drama throughout the runtime of the film, the score is provided by Harry Gregson-Williams.
Cinematography: Mauro Fiore
Mauro Fiore captures sweeping landscapes and glossy, high-tech environments, giving the film an infinitely polished and expansive.
IMDb Ratings
Infinite, as a movie, has received around a 5.4 out of 10 on IMDb, suggesting a mixed critical reception.
All viewers and the critics who were keen on science fiction were elated with the concept of the story, which merges action with science fiction. The fusion of philosophy in science fiction along with characters containing memories that can be exchanged mid-life is truly captivating from every angle whether existential or narrative.
Most complaints regarding this movie tend to lean towards its criticism as the entire concept is actually rather interesting. Eye-popping visuals paired with action sequences also far too often overlook creating a deeper narrative for the world that has been showcased through the film, throttle engaging elements including character development, exploration for the self-contained world, and deep archetypical elements. Most, if not all, of the interesting concepts available are ignored in place of archetypical fast paced violence wrapped in CGI, set-pieces, and gunfights.
The character played and brought to life by Mark Wahlberg seems to be done well but the performance lacks any depth overflowing with boxed in textbook action and expository dialogue that encompasses the script given to him. On the other hand, Bathurst, originally portrayed by Chiwetel Ejiofor, is done amazingly well and quite possibly steals the show even though the character was written no better than the other archetypes of the vanquishable villains.
The movie, Infinite, is in the first place entertaining, however, the entire film feels rather shallow. This is a perfect example of a lot of potential being thrown away, while having nicely dissected pieces of philosophy infused in the source material of the film.
Conclusions
An emerging concept that “Infinite” could do more with is the issue of life and death as it begins with a compelling premise of reincarnation. The intriguing aspect of being able to seemingly remember all past lives one has lived is compelling and resonating questions that one would consider is, how would life feel like and how would that impact one’s morals, purpose in life, and sanity?
The film depicts the strive for delivering action at the expense of balance, starting from two raging car explosions, stunts that defy the very concept of gravity, to high-staked robberies. If you’re looking for rollercoaster high-octane action, then “Infinite” hits home. Guiding the piece is the sharp directorial touch of Fuqua who doesn’t ease up on the pace and keeps pushing the tempo which results to the film never halting long enough to allow audiences to think too much.
The film “infinite” has outstanding pieces of cinematography such as the outstanding underground neon glowing lairs, templies, and advanced people-clad futuristic sets. The entire film is eye-catching to the viewer not only do they include footage and scenes full of creative free flowing movements a lot of people love and enjoy to watch but the entire choreography during many battles which depict the abundance of knowledge garnered throughout many lifetimes have endless creativity.
The entire cast did acceptably well. Ejiofor showed emphatic and appealing responding acting skills portraying the clear antagonist. Breathable but restrained is Wahlberg but he is still reliable. This can be sensed as a decision made to suppress Evans phenomenal nature considering how he gradually comes to terms that he possesses an extraordinary existence.
At the end of the day, “Infinite” misses the mark in regards to the depth of its story. The central elements of true immortality featuring eternal memory alongside reincarnation could have yielded a stronger examination of identity, purpose, and destiny, but the film instead opts for a vibrant action thriller with a light coating of philosophy to distinguish it from other more traditional action films.
To summarize, “Infinite” does fall short in fully developing the core theme of the plot, but the stunning visuals and churning excitement make the film simplistic yet enjoyable. It easily captivates viewers looking for an energetic distraction, but audience members who look for advanced storytelling within the realm of science fiction are bound to be disappointed.
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