Overlooked Gem of the Week: 'Code 46' (2003)

Science fiction films have a tendency to date very quickly. The technology, the clothes, the cars, and the pop culture on show all say more about the era the film was made then about the future the filmmakers believe might come to pass.

Released ten years ago, Michael Winterbottom's Code 46 stands up remarkably well. Like Minority Report the film goes with a same-same but different aesthetic; never going too overboard on the stylistic changes. The most effective change is the evolution of language: English now incorporates Spanish, French, Mandarin, and others besides. It's an elegant way of making something both familiar and yet (in this case somewhat literally) foreign.

To even begin touching on the story would require a half-dozen paragraphs, and would ruin much of the fun of getting to grips with the changes that have taken place in Code 46's dystopian future. The bear essentials are: Tim Robbins falls for (the perpetually brilliant) Samantha Morton. This isn't allowed, as it's a Code 46 violation. If you want to know what that means then you'll have to delve into this wonderfully densely and immaculately constructed future.

Critics felt the rules and regulations of Code 46's world were too murky and dense. And when you couple their confusion with the not-quite-A-list cast, and a British director prone to making rather harrowing films (Jude is a particular favourite of mine, and also criminally overlooked) you don't find yourself with an easily marketable film.

If you can get to grips with the future Winterbottom, and his writer Frank Boyce, have dreamed up, then great, but it's not the end of the world if just let it wash over you - as it's just a backdrop to the fascinating central relationship. 

Overall: 8/10