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Zoe(film)

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Not to be confused with the 1954 French comedy filmZoé (film).
Zoe
Official release poster
Directed byDrake Doremus
Screenplay byRichard Greenberg
Produced by
  • Drake Doremus
  • Robert George
  • Michael A. Pruss
Starring
CinematographyJohn Guleserian
Edited byDouglas Crise
Music byDan Romer
Production
companies
Distributed byAmazon Studios
Release dates
Running time
104 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$401,912[1]

Zoeis a 2018 Americanromanticscience fiction filmdirected byDrake Doremusand starringEwan McGregor,Léa Seydoux,Christina Aguilera,Rashida Jones,andMiranda Otto.

The film had its world premiere at theTribeca Film Festivalon April 21, 2018. It was released on July 20, 2018, byAmazon Studios.

Plot[edit]

In the not-too-distant future, the most cutting-edge technology has honed romantic relationships down to a science: A computerized test can determine the likelihood of successful partnership between two individuals, and androids—known as “synthetics” —have been designed as the ideal partners, ones who are completely understanding and will never leave. Zoe (Léa Seydoux) and Cole (Ewan McGregor) work in the research facility responsible for developing this technology. Zoe and Cole are friends but Zoe harbors a crush on him, and is disappointed when she takes the compatibility test and finds out they have a 0% compatibility. When she tells Cole this information, he gently tells her that she is a synthetic.

Synthetics had always been programmed to know they were synthetics, but Zoe was a new model and an experiment to see if a synthetic could pass as a human. Although Zoe has been implanted with false memories that she believed were her own, as inBlade Runner,it’s clear that Zoe is special as she has developed her own feelings. Cole gently takes Zoe into the world with this new self-awareness, seeing her reactions, but also falling in love with her. He is wary of getting physical with her, but they eventually do. Zoe feels that Cole is holding back.

When Zoe is hit by a car, exposing her synthetic intestines, it causes Cole to pull away from Zoe after repairing her. Meanwhile, the AI company has shifted direction to releasing Benysol, a pill which gives the person taking it the feeling of being in love for several blissful hours. It’s a huge success, with people going to Benysol clubs and even hanging out in certain parks to meet partners they take it with. Cole and Zoe clearly miss each other, but they both take Benysol with multiple partners, which only leaves them feeling empty. Cole’s friends encourage him to be with Zoe, even though she’s synthetic, but he can’t do it. One day Zoe visits the AI lab and discovers a room full of Zoes, the next generation of her, Zoe 2.0. She realizes she doesn’t wish to live without Cole and visits the brothel where she asks the owner to shut her down. However, at the last minute she changes her mind and some of the brothel girls take her to her apartment, where Cole finds her and professes his love. She cries, which her model wasn’t supposed to be able to do.

Cast[edit]

Production[edit]

On August 19, 2016, it was announced thatCharlie HunnamandLéa Seydouxwould star in the untitled sci-fi romance film, whichDrake Doremuswould direct from a script by Rich Greenberg who collaborated with Doremus on the Emmy winning web seriesThe Beauty Inside.[2]On October 25, 2016,Stuart Ford'sIM Globalcame on board to fully finance the film, titledZoe,withScott Free Productions' Michael Pruss producing along with Doremus and Robert George.[3]By May 2017,Ewan McGregorreplaced Hunnam in the film, a supporting cast ofChristina Aguilera,Theo James,Rashida Jones,Miranda OttoandMatthew Gray Gublerwere added, and a filming start date of May 8 was established, with the filming taking place inMontreal.[4]

Release[edit]

The film had its world premiere at theTribeca Film Festivalon April 21, 2018.[5][6]Prior to the premiere,Amazon Studiosacquired distribution rights to the film in theUnited States,Canada,theUnited Kingdom,theRepublic of Ireland,Italy,AustraliaandNew Zealand,[7]whileNetflixacquired distribution rights to release the film as aNetflix Original filminJapan[8]and theBenelux.[9]IM Global merged withOpen Road Films(who previously co-releasedGleasonwith Amazon[10]) to formGlobal Road Entertainment.[11]

The film was released on July 20, 2018.[12]

Reception[edit]

Onreview aggregatorwebsiteRotten Tomatoes,the film holds an approval rating of 32%, based on 25 reviews, and an average rating of 4.3/10. Its consensus states "Zoehas some interesting ideas but never manages to get a satisfying grip on them, settling for slow-moving sci-fi that ultimately fails to engage. "[13]OnMetacritic,the film has a weighted average score of 39 out of 100, based on 10 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews".[14]Morgan Rojas ofCinemacybelieved that "the performances from McGregor and Seydoux are equally raw and vulnerable", and that Aguilera added a "star power" to the film.[15]Common Sense Mediaeditor Andrea Beach praised the movie for the two leading performances and additional work by "talented supporters—Rashida Jones, Miranda Otto, and Christina Aguilera".[16]

References[edit]

  1. ^"Zoe".Box Office Mojo.RetrievedDecember 7,2020.
  2. ^Ford, Rebecca (August 19, 2016)."Charlie Hunnam, Lea Seydoux to Star in Drake Doremus' Next Film (Exclusive)".The Hollywood Reporter.Prometheus Global Media.RetrievedOctober 25,2016.
  3. ^Lodderhose, Diana (October 25, 2016)."IM Global Boards Drake Doremus' Love Story 'Zoe,' Starring Charlie Hunnam & Léa Seydoux".Deadline Hollywood.Penske Business Media.RetrievedOctober 25,2016.
  4. ^McNary, Dave (May 1, 2017)."Christina Aguilera, Theo James, Rashida Jones Join Sci-Fi Romance 'Zoe'".Variety.Penske Business Media.RetrievedSeptember 2,2017.
  5. ^Raup, Jordan (March 7, 2018)."Tribeca 2018 Lineup Includes 'Disobedience,' 'The Miseducation of Cameron Post,' 'The Seagull,' and More".The Film Stage.RetrievedMay 9,2018.
  6. ^"Zoe".Tribeca Film Festival.RetrievedApril 22,2018.
  7. ^D'Alessandro, Anthony (April 20, 2018)."Amazon Prime Picks Up Drake Doremus Futuristic Love Story 'Zoe' – Tribeca".Deadline Hollywood.Penske Business Media.RetrievedApril 22,2018.
  8. ^Netflix Japan,『ホンモノの khí trì ち』 dư cáo biên - Netflix,retrieved2018-07-15
  9. ^Netflix Japan,Zoe Officiële trailer Netflix,retrieved2018-07-15
  10. ^Fleming, Mike Jr. (January 28, 2016)."Amazon Buys 'Gleason' Documentary, Open Road To Release In Theaters This Summer: Sundance".Deadline Hollywood.RetrievedAugust 12,2016.
  11. ^McNary, Dave (October 30, 2017)."IM Global, Open Road Owner Tang Media Rebrands as Global Road Entertainment".Variety.RetrievedAugust 3,2018.
  12. ^News Desk, TV (June 21, 2018)."Amazon Prime Video to Exclusively Launch ZOE Starring Ewan McGregor and Lea Seydoux on July 20".Broadway World.RetrievedJune 21,2018.
  13. ^"Zoe (2018)".Rotten Tomatoes.Fandango.RetrievedOctober 30,2021.
  14. ^"Zoe Reviews".Metacritic.CBS Interactive.RetrievedMay 9,2018.
  15. ^Rojas, Morgan (July 24, 2018)."'Zoe' Review: The Meaning of Love, Explored ".Cinemacy.RetrievedDecember 7,2020.
  16. ^Beach, Andrea."Zoe (2018) Movie Review".Common Sense Media.RetrievedDecember 7,2020.

External links[edit]

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Zoe_(film)&oldid=1223179541"