Olive Films has released the first trailer for its upcoming sci-fi drama, Womb, and it’s a bit creepy. I don’t mean scary clown make-up creepy. I mean Oedipus complex creepy.
I can’t say it isn’t interesting, but the trailer might make you cringe a bit.
Apparently set in the near future, where cloning is possible, but society hasn’t quite figured out what to do with it, a woman who misses her lover decided to give birth to a new copy of him, so that they can be together again, but first she has to raise him up as his mother. Genetically,
technically, that’s not incest, I guess, but it still presents us with a topic that makes us a bit uncomfortable, and presents interesting social and psychological questions.
Of course, I would be remiss not to point out that part of the big deal of the film is the star, Matt Smith, who plays the cloned lover opposite Eva Green. There have been some gaps in the filming schedule for Doctor Who, in which Smith also stars, and this is the project he’s been working on during those gaps.
Obviously, a lot of the draw for this film will be among Doctor Who fans, and it will, in general, receive a lot more attention in the geek community than it otherwise would, especially since, judging from the trailer, the sci-fi elements seem very soft and devised.
Expect the film to mostly be about turbulent emotions – grief, joy and jealousy – depicted strongly by the talented and diverse Green, especially, who has a particular skill for evocative sadness on film.
The film was released over a year ago in Russia, and has seen success around the indie scene in Europe. The decision to give it a release in the US is likely at least partly due to the popularity of the star. It will receive a limited release only at first – look up the listings for your local artsy theater – but may evolve into a general release if it does well, though it’s unlikely.
The long-form synopsis of the film is thus:
“Womb” tells the story of the cross-generational love affair between Rebecca (Eva Green) and Thomas (Matt Smith), two childhood friends who, once re-united, became instant lovers – only to be separated again by Thomas’ accidental death. After contemplating suicide, Rebecca finds consolation in the idea of cloning Matt back to life.
Although society at large hasn’t fully accepted the idea of human cloning, and often ostracizes those who have been cloned, Rebecca decides to forge ahead with her plans to give birth to her lost love – literally. Living in an old and isolated house, Thomas grows up believing his father died in an accident – and she never mentions cloning to him. Notwithstanding their secret, Rebecca and Thomas lead an almost normal life during his first years.
But as the years go by, Rebecca seems less and less inclined to deal (or accept) the complexities of her decision – and eventually, Thomas grows to the exact image of her beloved man. One day, however, Rebecca’s secret is unveiled, and Thomas’ inexplicable urges have to be dealt with.
Womb will see limited release in the US on March 30, 2012.
