ViewGuide

Created Jan 14, 2011 07:47PM PST • Edited Jan 19, 2011 05:23AM PST

1. Quality

2. Summary

   OK 2.5

   Sickening, and sickly engaging. There were times I almost stopped watching, then soldiered through to a reasonably satisfying conclusion. The movie keeps its secrets well, ultimately flinging betrayals and double-crosses from all angles.

   However the portrayal of anesthetic awareness – being “awake” on the operating table – oscillates between horrifying and preposterous. Anyone scared of hospitals should steer clear of Awake. That goes double for those traumatized by surgery or transplants.

4. Acting

   Good 3.0

   Lena Olin should be bigger star than she is. Elegantly beautiful, brightly intelligent, she’s always worth watching.

   Jessica Alba pegs the adorable meter.

   Hayden Christensen seems headed for a footnote in Hollywood history.

5. Male Stars OK 2.5

6. Female Stars Very Good 3.5

   Lena Olin was great, Jessica Alba good.

7. Female Costars OK 2.5

8. Male Costars OK 2.5

10. Film

    OK 2.5

11. Direction Good 3.0

12. Play Barely OK 2.0

13. Music Pretty Bad 1.5

14. Visuals OK 2.5
15. Content

16. Edge

    Sordid 2.7

    Phobic about hospitals or surgery? Be scared. Be very scared.

17. Sex Titillating 1.8

18. Violence Brutal 3.0

19. Rudeness Profane 3.2

21. Reality

    Glib 1.9

    You gotta love how the heroic corporate raider measures his success in jobs created. Quick, get this man a position in the Obama White House.

22. Circumstantial Surreal 2.5

23. Biological Surreal 2.1

24. Physical Natural 1.0