Directed by Drake Doremus, 'Zoe' is a captivating film that tells the story of two colleagues at a revolutionary research lab as they design technology to improve and create the perfect relationship.
Set in the near future, 'Zoe' follows Cole (McGregor) and Zoe (Seydoux), two colleagues who work at 'Relationist', a company matching people together and calculating their chance of a happy future together. 'Relationist' operates within the pharmaceutical industry, marketing a new drug known as 'Benysol' that supposedly stimulates the feeling of falling in love. But perhaps the company's most revolutionary product is synthetic humans, essentially robots, designed to be your ideal partner.
Zoe decides to subject herself and Cole to a compatibility quiz but becomes disheartened when receiving a worryingly low score, learning she is synthetic and designed purely as a test to see if she can pass as a real person. With her newfound self-awareness, Zoe and Cole venture into the world around them. The two soon grow close, physically and emotionally, and embark upon a profound relationship. But when an accident strikes, Cole finds himself pulling away from Zoe, unable to look at her in the same way. Meanwhile, 'Relationist' continues developing Benysol, as distribution to the public begins. When the drug falls into the hands of Cole and Zoe, she begins to come to terms with the fact she doesn't want to live a life without him and makes a drastic decision.
McGregor and Seydoux give great performances, and their chemistry is sensational. The supporting cast of Rashida Jones, Theo James and Christina Aguilera all give solid performances. Despite this being Aguilera's first attempt at a more dramatic role, her lack of experience doesn't shine through. Matthew Gray Gubler makes a brief appearance as one of Zoe's one night stands, credited as 'Skinny White Guy', even though his character is called Michael.
John Gulserian's cinematography emphasises the natural beauty of the various shooting locations across Montreal, keeping in line with the contemporary aesthetic of Doremus' other films. The score, courtesy of Dan Romer, compliments 'Zoe''s filmmaking to a T. Before filming began, we learnt that Ewan McGregor would be taking over from Charlie Hunnam as Cole. Hunnam reportedly pulled out due to scheduling conflicts.
Although 'Zoe' is a film that centres around the idea of synthetic humans, it deals with some deep themes such as human connection and emotions. It pleads with the idea of which of these may provide us with a better relationship. We have to consider if future humanity may rely on synthetic/artificial intelligence for relationships and romance?
Beautifully shot and well-acted, 'Zoe' is a film that turns a very sci-fi themed plot into an aesthetically pleasing drama with a superb cast. As always, Doremus gives viewers yet another film that deals with deep themes and thought-provoking ideas.
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