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Tim Robbins, Samantha Morton, Jeanne Balibar, Om Puri, Essie Davis ... see more see more... , Shelley King , David Fahm , Togo Igawa , Emil Marwa , Nabil Massad , Benedict Wong , Christopher Simpson , Bruno Lastra , Nina Fogg , Taro Sherabayani

In the not-so-distant future, a married man investigates a counterfeiter and ends up the perpetrator of an ethical crime in Code 46, the latest film from prolific British director Michael Winterbottom... read more read more.... Set against the backdrop of a technologically advanced Shanghai, where people are only allowed to travel between countries with official passports called "papelles," the film charts the efforts of Seattle native William (Tim Robbins) to get to the bottom of a contraband-papelle operation within the walls of a high-tech company that manufactures them. There he finds Maria (Samantha Morton), an enigmatic young woman who may or may not be selling the passports on the black market. William has a brief affair with Maria, which, despite his attempts to return home, causes him to become embroiled in an even bigger controversy in Shanghai. ~ Michael Hastings, Rovi

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58% liked it

8,230 ratings

Critics

51% liked it

96 critics

R, 1 hr. 25 min.

Directed by: Michael Winterbottom

Release Date: August 6, 2004

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DVD Release Date: December 28, 2004

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Flixster Reviews (609)

  • ironclad1609
    April 18, 2011
    ironclad1609
    A case of: little known movie that would deserve a bit more attention.
    The most interesting aspect of this film is its futuristic setting. In the not too distant future people with 25% or more identical genes are not allowed to have children together. The violation of that is th... read moree Code 46, the punishment measures accordingly drastic. The world seems to consist of mega-cities, where a lot of languages melted into each other, and the impoverished outside. You can't go wherever or whenever you want without the right papers. There is cyberpunk technology that gives you skills, helping with your job or for your leisure activities. All this may sound like another "Blade Runner", but it's all explained very subtly while the story evolves and does not seem too far away from our current world.
    In this setting Tim "Shawshank" Robbins has to investigate a case of theft in a company in Shanghai. What exactly this firm does and what was stolen is not revealed right away, thanks to the amalgam of languages, especially when it comes to technical terms. The delicate relationship Robbins' character builds with suspect Samantha "Minority Report" Morton reminds of "Lost in Translation", two somewhat lonely souls connecting in a big, strange city. To say more about the plot would be spoiling.
    The use of music together with the outstandingly beautiful cinematography and interesting things the movie has to say about the gap between rich and poor and how mankind apparently fucked up its gene pool is very fascinating and interesting. There is no action, and the movie is rather slow, but with fine hints of humor and carried by two great actors. In the end, there are a lot of images staying with you: Morton dancing, the slow camera flights over the desert, the neat gimmicks of technology, the sobering solution to the story. Definitely worth seeing.
  • Stinger839
    October 4, 2010
    Stinger839
    Beautiful, atmospheric, pitch-perfect, absorbing, astounding, and every other adjective to assign to greatness that one can fathom. It's what would happen if Lost in Translation had been written as a loose adaptation of 1984 and Brave New World. A must see for all students of fil... read morem. One of the greatest films about dystopia/aspiring utopia as well as a classic romance.
  • ceWEBrity
    October 2, 2009
    ceWEBrity
    Code 46 features a lovely setting, a futuristic world fraught with the perils of eugenics. Its most interesting quirk, among many, is the world-wide system of "cover," a sort of one-size-fits-all insurance. With it, you are afforded the luxury of living in a safe and insular utop... read moreia; without it, you're relegated to al fuera, or the harsh and dangerous outside world. It serves as a rich metaphor for the movie's recurring motif of working for feeling versus settling into it. Its two lead performers, Tim Robbins and Samantha Morton, are constantly engaging, working their hardest to let us in to these frankly bizarre characters. Unfortunately, their navigations don't accomplish much. William and Maria are indecisive, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but their choices are repetitive, and eventually exhausting. Between that and the constant shoegaze atmosphere that the movie puts forward, Code 46 almost becomes turgid. It's like sci-fi Garden State, only infinitely more clever.

    I'm really not sure how to feel about this film. It's a cool movie to see and think about and promotes imagination in its viewers, and I'm sure that Michael Winterbottom made exactly the product he was aiming to make. I think it's a great mood piece, but the movie generally disregards anything else once it's established its ground rules and setting, so I think a lot of people will find it frustrating. Worth watching, but don't say I didn't warn you.
  • pier007
    September 8, 2008
    pier007
    It's cold, simplistic and distant, but it has inner power. It is a fresh change from that hideus sci-fi trend that started with 'the matrix' when technology and visuals took over the story.
  • hoganshero
    September 1, 2007
    hoganshero
    I love this film, and the varient of languages and the intensity of the scenes. The director is also clever and makes Tokyo seems like many many years in the futre. Tim and Samantha smolder.
  • gor41
    April 5, 2007
    gor41
    Stylish but cold futuristic drama
  • deano
    January 4, 2007
    deano
    Boring and strange futuristic drama tale.
  • dreamfaeries
    November 14, 2006
    dreamfaeries
    Oddly interesting.
  • gator681
    July 27, 2005
    gator681
    [font=Century Gothic]"Code 46" takes place in the near future as William Geld(Tim Robbins) is in Shanghai investigating insurance fraud, more specifically the distribution of fake cover(ID's). This has been traced back to the manufacturing plant. The counterfeiter is Maria Gonzal... read moreez(Samantha Morton). (Her motives are as much out of kindness as much as they are monetary.) William knowlingly falsely identifies another suspect to the factory boss and initiates an affair with Maria. [/font]

    [font=Century Gothic]"Code 46"'s strength is in it how pictures the future. It is neither utopia nor dystopia. Michael Winterbottom, on a very limited budget, uses the locations of rarely used Shanghai and other locations to their best. The technology is up a notch but nothing that is not within reach. And it helps that there are still some familiar items around to ground us. Movement is restricted between countries and cities by the use of cover. The theme of this movie is that no matter how much we may dislike government restrictions, they are in place for a reason. [/font]

    [font=Century Gothic]"Code 46" tells the tale of a romance in a low-key way. Samantha Morton is excellent as always but Tim Robbins' character remains something of a cipher. And it is always nice to see Om Puri in anything.[/font]
  • alanjayh
    May 17, 2010
    alanjayh
    More of a love story that takes place in the future with some cool visuals, even though automobiles have not advanced passed a 2005 Toyota it appears. The underlying themes are thought provoking, but the problem as I see it lies with the two leads. Robbins is stone faced and sh... read moreows very little emotion, and Morton looks more like a boy with that compact frame and short hair. The dialogue as well is irritating, especially with all characters throwing in a word or two of French or Spanish. Its worth a look for a change of pace from your normal viewing fare.

View All Code 46 Reviews

Critic Reviews

Jay Boyar
October 8, 2004
Jay Boyar, Orlando Sentinel

Amid the white walls and slick surfaces of this film, the characters seem more like lab rats than human beings. Full Review

Vic Vogler
September 10, 2004
Vic Vogler, Denver Post

More a collage than a movie. Full Review

Robert Denerstein
September 10, 2004
Robert Denerstein, Denver Rocky Mountain News

It's a common enough problem in sci-fi movies. A filmmaker creates a totally convincing world but can't find a compelling story to put in it.

Eleanor Ringel Gillespie
September 3, 2004
Eleanor Ringel Gillespie, Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Winterbottom's movie may be cold, but it's still pretty cool. Full Review

Bruce Westbrook
August 26, 2004
Bruce Westbrook, Houston Chronicle

Winterbottom and screenwriter Frank Cottrell Boyce sell the sci-fi but botch the interpersonal. Full Review

Tom Long
August 20, 2004
Tom Long, Detroit News

A provocative, classy, low-key sci-fi tale that presents a world so within reach it's scary.

Terry Lawson
August 20, 2004
Terry Lawson, Detroit Free Press

A tedious slog. Full Review

Gary Dowell
August 19, 2004
Gary Dowell, Dallas Morning News

A curious and mostly rewarding tale of a love affair in a world of genetic policing and travel restrictions. Full Review

Bill Muller
August 19, 2004
Bill Muller, Arizona Republic

A love story clothed in a science-fiction plot that fails to warm us with sentiment or dazzle us with cold logic. Full Review

Jeff Strickler
August 19, 2004
Jeff Strickler, Minneapolis Star Tribune

The disquieting and depressing sci-fi romance Code 46 is an interesting exercise, but the same can't always be said about it as a movie. Full Review

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