As
speculative futuristic technology goes, the world of New Paris 2047 practically
looks dated. However, the sociological and ideological repercussions are
incredibly timely. Seventy-five percent of the population willingly spends
their entire conscious lives within the VR game world of their choice. That
certainly makes it easier for the government and a few tech corporations to
maintain a firm grip on power in the really real “Living” world. Nash does
their dirty work, but he starts to have second thoughts in screenwriter-director
Guy-Roger Duvert’s Virtual Revolution (trailer here), which world
premiered at the 2016 Dances with Films.
Nash
is a so-called “hybrid,” who splits his time between the conspicuously Blade Runner-looking real world and an
epic fantasy game world, where he is known as his more handsome avatar, Swal. From
time to time, he takes assignments from a shadowy gaming firm, usually
targeting threats to its virtual platforms. They literally pay him bounties on
his kills, because the real world is so de-populated, there really isn’t anyone
left to care.
However,
a new cell of anti-Connected radicals has been particularly effective at
disrupting game-play. The firm has covered-up the resulting deaths thus far,
but the rebels seem to be planning something bigger. Nash will target the
conspirators in the real world, but some of his encounters will cause him to
question many of the decisions he has made.
Granted,
we have seen a lot of this before, going back to the old school Tron. However, Duvert takes the social
ramifications even further, to their fullest credible extent. He posits a corrupt
insular system, where the Connected’s government welfare payments go directly
to the corporations to pay their fees. No Obamacare for the Connected. They
live it up in the Connected world, while their bodies atrophy, resulting in a
life expectancy in the mere forties. At least they have traded their freedom
for cool experiences. In our world, there are plenty of people willing to give away
their freedom for a mediocre health insurance plan and a few transfer payments.
Mike
Dopud has the right look and presence for Nash—rugged and manly, but maybe not
quite in perfect shape. Maximilien Poullein plays off him well as Morel, one of
his necessarily few Living associates, who conveniently happens to be a
talented hacker. Petra Silander certainly has a heck of an entrance portraying the
seductive warrior avatar Nash hijacks (much to his surprise). Jane Badler, fondly remembered
as Diana in the original V mini-series,
gives the film further fan cred with her brief appearances as Nash’s shadowy
client. Zoe Corraface (daughter of Greek actor George) is also memorable as the
fantasy avatar Nash has a virtual something going on with in their fantasy game
world.
