The resistance to technology is grown out of fear. The concern of many is that we will become too reliant on technology, lessening our usefulness and dumbing down society as a whole. Sure, there’s fear that advanced technology will replace man, but most don’t fear a robotic revolt ala Skynet. The worry is that man will lose himself in technology.
Benjamin Dickinson pries on these fears in his futuristic science fiction drama, “Creative Control.” Unlike most sci-fi films, this one doesn’t leap too far into the future, only a few years from now. This is to show how quickly technology is advancing and how quickly we are losing ourselves to it. It is no coincidence that the augmented reality glasses showcased in this film so heavily mirror that of Google Glass. All of the technology on display in this film heavily mirrors that of current technology, just slightly more advanced. If you’re reading this a few years from now, the advancements I speak of won’t be advanced anymore; they may even be outdated.
Benjamin Dickinson, who directs the film and co-wrote alongside Micah Bloomberg, also stars in the lead role as David. David is spearheading the marketing campaign for Augmenta, virtual reality glasses that, much like Google Glass, act as a modern cell phone, equipped with apps and videos on top of the usual messaging capabilities. Augmenta’s advancement is that it utilizes facial recognition, allowing the person wearing it to do a background check on the person scanned.
Augmenta has another unique feature, one that only David knows about. The facial recognition can be implemented on a custom-made avatar, which in turn can be used as a hologram. For David, he scans Sophie (Alexia Rasmussen), the girlfriend of his co-worker and friend, Wim (Dan Gill). Stuck in a rut with his current girlfriend, Juliette (Nora Zehetner), he fantasizes about Sophie constantly. Thanks to Augmenta, he can create an avatar to resemble Sophia as closely as possible and engage in sexual fantasies with it.
There’s actual concern nowadays that the combination of technology and pornography will corrupt our emotional state. Instead of developing relationships, we’ll feed into our carnal desires with the usage of virtual reality simulation. Even pornography itself is getting more advanced, with 360-degree cameras creating a point-of-view approach that makes the viewer feel as if he/she is engaging in the sexual intercourse. Augmenta exploits both of these perturbations.
Dickinson takes the theory that virtual reality will corrupt us and runs with it. We as the viewer question whether or not David is actually cheating on Juliette or is simply playing out a fantasy. Things get trickier when he and Sophie start sexting and there’s the implication that, while not physically being there, both engage in the sexual intercourse as they speak to one another through their avatar. Then, we learn that Juliette, sensing the distance and rejection by David, cheats on him in the traditional sense with a fellow yoga instructor. Are both accountable for cheating or just Juliette?
Nora Zehetner as Juliette in “Creative Control.’’
“Creative Control” is cloaked in black and white, with the only color coming through in David’s fantasies of Sophia. There is the missed opportunity in having the view through the Augmenta glasses being in color to contrast the bleakness of the actual world. By doing this, the commentary would’ve been on how our lives only seem bright when masked in technology. However, Dickinson’s commentary is on how society has lost all hope in life, with only our deepest fantasies bringing jubilation. Seeing as how we’re seeing life through David’s lenses, it’s easy to forgive the missed opportunity, as it arguably wouldn’t fit with the overall tone.
Dickinson does run into one problem in regard to the film being in David’s point-of-view and that is that the film suffers when it shifts focus. When we are witness to Juliette’s personal plights, the film suffers. Since we haven’t spent much time with Juliette, we don’t feel the sorrow we should for her. Since this is David’s story, our insight into Juliette’s life should’ve been limited, just like it is in David’s.
Another issue Dickinson runs into is he has his finger in too many pies. Not only does he want to commentate on the emotional destruction caused by technology, he wants to commentate on how it destroys society as a whole. Anything that involves the dumbing down of society, such as his company’s executives thinking people won’t understand that an actor wearing a pilot suit in an airplane is indeed portraying a pilot, doesn’t resonate. Reggie Watts is slightly wasted in portraying himself as Augmenta’s personal spokesman and campaign manager, with his intellectual speech on psychology feeling forced. Dickinson is trying to juggle too much and is caved in by the pressure, which is ironic considering David suffers the same fate.
“Creative Control” will rub many the wrong way, as it’s too on the nose and abrasive at times. Much like a documentary, it’s a one-sided affair, only showing the viewpoint of Benjamin Dickinson. Not once is there hope given that technology could be utilized for good and actually increase ones intelligence. However, it would be tricky to do so and would go against the narrative. I may not always agree with Dickinson’s message, but I don’t have to in order to enjoy the film. All I need is for the story to be told well, and “Creative Control” is a beguiling experience no matter where I land morally.
Final Rating: B