Movie Review: Renaissance

By Frank H. Woodward Sep 22, 2006, 3:27 GMT

In 2054, Paris is a labyrinth where all movement is monitored and recorded. Cut off from the world for its own protection, the city has nonetheless continued to expand. Now, 21st century skyscrapers overlay centuries-old architectural masterpieces. And below street level, a sophisticated network of streamlined plazas push up against the city\'s ancient, deteriorating tunnel systems. Casting a shadow over everything is the city\'s largest company, Avalon, which insinuates itself ...more

For anyone who thinks Hollywood stresses style over substance, ‘Renaissance’ proves that the French can be just as shallow. While exquisitely animated, this futuristic thriller suffers from narrative mess.

In the year 2054, Paris will look like your average 21st century dystopia as determined by Japanese anime and “Blade Runner”.  Industrial mash ups of classical architecture, cyberpunk fashion and clots of advertising form director Christian Volckman’s cityscape. 

Avalon is the corporation that runs things in future France with promises of eternal youth and beauty. I guess in Paris the evil empire of tomorrow would be Lancome as opposed to Microsoft (or Fox).

Patrolling these multi-level mean streets with Orwellian surveillance is Karas (voiced by Daniel Craig). He’s a no-nonsense cop who can find anyone at any cost. Fortunately his job is secure when Ilona,Tasuiev, one of Avalon’s top scientists, goes missing.  In the style of all conspiracies, however, Karas may not be the only force looking for her.

With all its convolutions, ‘Renaissance’ comes off as a basic regurgitation of Raymond Chandler. Not the Chandler of literature, however, but Chandler as it was portrayed in (yet again) ‘Blade Runner.’ 

While Ridley Scott’s film has gone on to become a masterpiece, it never was strong on narrative sense or strong characters. ‘Renaissance’ is even worse. The plot is so muddled that by the time someone explains why this scientist was kidnapped, the audience doesn’t care. 

You learn little by little that Avalon’s business is keeping people young, but how?  Through surgery?  Hand creams?

Avalon’s master plan seems tied to a fountain of youth project that has left nine kids dead.  Kids with progeria.  That’s the condition where cells age more rapidly than the actual person.  Progeria supposedly holds the secret to immortality. Rapid aging is the secret to living forever?  Again… how?  ‘Renaissance’ never tells.

If the plot of ‘Renaissance’ is more than a little vague, character motivation is downright cryptic. Cliché dialogue ripped from the worst of American pulp serves as shorthand for depicting the kind of cop Karas can be. “Don’t leave me with this psycho?” one sleazy suspect cries out when Karas corners him in the interrogation room. We don’t know what he’s afraid of, though. Karas hasn’t exhibited any Dirty Harry behavior at all until this moment. 

The only time Karas has defied orders was in the opening’s kidnapping sting. For some reason beyond understanding, though, the kidnappers’ stupidity makes Karas’ brashness seem like playing it safe.  If there are two men with guns aimed at a hostage and a cop comes in shooting, why would both men take their guns off their hostage to shoot at that cop?  (Not that I have practical experience with this kind of thing, but logic prevails).

Karas’ police captain describes him as the silent type. Yet, for the rest of the film, Karas does nothing but talk… to everyone. I guess it’s his gregarious method that attracts vanilla femme fatale Bislane (Catherine McCormack). Bislane is the sister of the missing scientist.  It takes her a full 15 seconds to fall for Karas and that’s after meeting him only once before. Why?  Because they’re supposed to. It says so in the script.

With a film as visually driven as “Renaissance” you would think that the world would be better drawn. Sadly no. Modules out of Disney’s Tomorrowland have been grafted onto Parisian architecture. Sidewalks are made of glass. Apartments can telescope up above their original structure. All of this is nice eye candy, but who built this city and why? 

This vision of Paris is never given a context.

Confusing technologies also abound. Why would the villain’s henchman bother with invisible camouflage when all cops have a nano chip that enables them to see their infrared signatures?

A lot of this bad storytelling could be blamed on a bad translation. ‘Renaissance’ is dubbed into English by some of Britain’s best.  In addition to our next James Bond, Ian Holm and Jonathan Pryce lend their considerable talents.  Their performances succeed in convincing us that they at least know what’s going on in the story.  Alas, it’s too little, too late.

Does the animation of “Renaissance” excuse its failings as a narrative?  Director Volckman clearly lavished a lot of attention on the animation employing motion capture and CG.  It all yields a style akin to the black and white pages found in the “Sin City” graphic novels.  The look is beautiful, lush, and perfect for a 30 second Super Bowl ad. 

The monochromatic shading of “Renaissance” becomes more and more annoying over the span of a 9O minute movie, especially when there’s no rhyme or reason to it.  Day looks just like night.  Only the sky is white in the AM.  It’s also hard to pick out characters when their outline is better suited to a Rorschach ink blot test.

All of this adds up to a real shame. ‘Renaissance’ could have been a true re-birth for science fiction. But true sci-fi goes beyond setting and atmosphere.  It needs a firm point of view. ‘Renaissance’ has too much of one and too little of the other.

Opens wide September 22. MPAA Rating: R