Awake Details

2007

Rated:
70
from 19,290 members

The story focuses on a man who suffers "anesthetic awareness" and finds himself awake and aware, but paralyzed, during heart surgery. His young wife must wrestle with her own demons as a drama unfolds around them. Please note that due to a production error the rental discs have had "Not For Rental" printed on them. Please .. Read more

Starring	Hayden Christensen, Jessica Alba, Terrence Howard, Lena Olin
Director	Joby Harold
Genres	Drama, Thriller

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Awake

The story focuses on a man who suffers "anesthetic awareness" and finds himself awake and aware, but paralyzed, during heart surgery. His young wife must wrestle with her own demons as a drama unfolds around them. Please note that due to a production error the rental discs have had "Not For Rental" printed on them. Please disregard this as Icon Studios have given us permission to use these discs.

Starring	Hayden Christensen, Jessica Alba, Terrence Howard, Lena Olin, Christopher McDonald, Sam Robards, Arliss Howard
Director	Joby Harold
Studio	ICON HOME ENTERTAINMENT
Run time	DVD: 1 hr 24 mins
Certificate
Genres	Drama, Thriller
Language	DVD: English
Released	DVD: 25 Aug 2008 Production year: 2007
Format	DVD

Critics' reviews of Awake
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Joby Harolds slick but silly medical thriller fails to exploit its attention-grabbing gimmick, anaesthetic... read more on Time Out
- Nigel Floyd,
- Time Out
- Posted 04 Nov 2008
Most helpful member's review of Awake
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46 out of 51 people found this review helpful

* * * This review contains spoilers * * *ShowHide

[Highly rated reviewer]

Can happen to you and me !!!!! "Anesthesia awareness"

My mum woke up under a hip operation - 20 years ago .. we have never talked about - she still avoid it .. but the day after the operation when I visit her - she where lime green in her face and totally in shock - she was shaking. I think my mum expericance where fare more scary then this movie can show us.

Back to the movie - It's okay ... but only that.

It's a reasonable story with a predictable end, nothing special here except the tension it creates. The biggest deficit is leaving you cold with an ending that lacked the revenge that you so wanted the evildoers to experience. I mean come on, at least have the black doctor commit suicide in his office during the wrap up - that would have made me feel a lot better. I see from other comments that the operating room/surgery was full of errors - I didn't notice or care since I am not a doctor; it looked legitimate to a casual viewer like me. Is this worth seeing, yes. Is it a great movie, NO!! Decide for yourselves.
- - crockery from Belfast
  - Posted 06 Apr 2008 15:40
Most recent members' review of Awake
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25 out of 26 people found this review helpful

* * * This review contains spoilers * * *ShowHide

[Highly rated reviewer]

Better than expected

Awake is a film which is surprisingly better than you would expect. The story, involving someone who is still aware of everything going on when he is being operated on, is based on actual experiences which a small percentage of people have. The sub-plot involving the planned murder of the person being operated on is actually handled quite well too. Throw into the mix two actors who usually get derided for their lack of ability (Christensen and Alba), who prove some talent here, and it far surpasses expectations. The film starts off pretty straight forward, with a wealthy entrepreneur, Clay (Hayden Christensen) trying to keep his life in order whilst awaiting a heart transplant. He has kept his engagement to his mother's assistant, Sam (Jessica Alba) secret, fearing what his mother (Lena Olin) would say about it. After setting up the basic background of the characters we soon move to the operating table, and that is when the film begins to come together and surprise the audience. The initial moments of Clay's awareness that he is not unconcious strike so well, and make you sit up and pay attention. To escape the pain he is feeling Clay begins to focus on his memories to find a happy place, but unfortunately begins to see clues as to something unsettling going on. The memories are played through with Clay having an out-of-body experience, and drifiting through all the moments in his mind, and it is through all this that we too piece together the puzzle presented to him. Christensen handles the part well, and shows some range of skill that we have only glimpsed once before (in Shattered Glass). Alba is less impressive, but is a far cry better than her performance in The Eye. Terrence Howard, playing the surgeon operating on Clay, who is also his best friend, has one of the meatier roles, and he wrestles with his own demons throughout. A decent enough film that has a few nice twists and turns. It is a shame that the marketing campaign for the film gives away one of the major plot points as it sort of deadens the impact, but there are still a few nice, crafty turns inside. The only real failing is that the tale does get a touch too syrupy sentimental towards the latter half.
- - Meako from Sheffield
  - Posted 03 Apr 2008 17:02
News and features
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Awake
- 31 Mar 2008
This movie should carry a government health warning. If you're facing surgery in the foreseeable future you might want to skip this one, or risk sleepless nights before going under the knife. Awake is also the most contrived thriller I've seen in a long time. But that's not all to the bad. It's more fun watching something twisty (not to say twisted) and original than yet another generic whodunit. Things gets off to a slow start - unless you consider pretty, bland Hayden Christenson and Jessica Read more
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Rating breakdown

19,290 Member ratings

100	1,131
90	738
80	3,852
70	4,390
60	4,811
50	1,801
40	1,422
30	389
20	550
10	206

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Critics' reviews of Awake

Most helpful member's review of Awake

46 out of 51 people found this review helpful

Can happen to you and me !!!!! "Anesthesia awareness"

Most recent members' review of Awake

25 out of 26 people found this review helpful

Better than expected

News and features

Awake

Image gallery

Showing 1 to 4 of 4

More like this

Showing 1 to 4 of 20

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Right at Your Door

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Rating breakdown

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