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Setting & Plot Summary
Setting: The film takes place and was filmed in modern day New York City. It is based on the 1997 Spanish film Abre los Ojos. The main character is David Aames, a thirty-three year old publishing company executive. Much of the story occurs in David’s penthouse apartment; Central Park, Times Square, and New York City streets also are used for a number of scenes.
Plot Summary: David Aames’s life is a material success story. He inherited 51% control of his father’s publishing company and lives a life free of worry. He’s rich; he’s attractive; women love him. At the beginning of the film, everything is going according to plan for David. He is in a casual relationship with a beautiful woman – Julie Gianni. David is living his life without assuming any responsibility; he’s taken all he has for granted. Rather than take women seriously, David looks to Julie as a girl he can spend a free evening with; she is what David’s long-time friend Brian Shelby calls a “fuck-buddy.” What David does not realize, however, is that Julie has much stronger feelings about the relationship than he. On the night of David’s 33rd birthday, Brian brings a beautiful woman named Sofia to David’s party. Upon meeting Sofia, David is immediately intrigued and falls in love with her. Julie, also at the party, sees David’s interest in Sofia and becomes distraught. The next day, after David and Sofia have spent the night together, Julie asks David to take a drive with her. In the car, Julie expresses her frustration with David and his lack of affection for her. Julie becomes so upset she commits suicide with David in the car by driving off a bridge.
David survives the accident but sustains permanent injuries. His arm and leg are both crippled, his face is scarred, and he has terrible headaches. Afraid of what the accident has done to him and what Sofia might think, David locks himself away in his house for months. Finally, his love for Sofia drives him to seek her out. The accident has changed David, however; his good looks are gone and so is his confidence. Nevertheless, Sofia agrees to go out with David. Upon arriving at the night club, David is surprised to find Brian there with Sofia. He soon learns that Sofia is uncomfortable being alone with him and has asked Brian to come along. Frustrated and upset, David gets terribly drunk and passes out after he walks Sofia home. In reality, David never sees Sofia again after this night at the bar. His headaches become progressively worse and, wounded by Sofia’s reaction to him, David slips into depression. While surfing the internet, David discovers “Life Extension”, a science company that allows people to chriogenetically freeze themselves and be unfrozen in the future. David commits suicide and signs himself over to “Life Extension”. The story is not over; however, as David has chosen to live a lucid dream in which he can have the life he always wanted with Sofia. The technology is not perfect, and David’s lucid dream turns into a nightmare. Sofia and Julie change back and forth frequently, and David no longer knows who is who. David ends up killing Sofia, mistaking her for Julie.
David must then see a psychologist, Dr. McCabe, who will decide whether or not David is fit to stand trial. Dr. McCabe is instrumental in helping David realize what is really happening to him. Over the course of their sessions. Dr. McCabe becomes like a father to David, replacing what David missed as a child. Through the sessions David realizes that he is in a lucid dream. He calls for tech support and receives help from Edmund Ventura, “Life Extension’s” technician. The film ends with David’s moment of choice – to return to his lucid dream and live with Sofia or return to reality. David chooses to return to the real world and live once again.
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