Villordsutch reviews Philip K. Dick’s Electric Dreams: Real Life…
We’ve come to season one’s penultimate episode of Philip K. Dick’s Electric Dreams, with this week’s slice of sci-fi being titled, “Real Life”. This new story being from the pen of Ronald D. Moore (Battlestar Galactica, Star Trek, Outlander), was originally published way back in 1954 within the Science Fiction Magazine, “If“, it then going under the title of, “Exhibit Piece”.
We begin in Chicago of the future. Here we find police officers Sarah (Anna Paquin) and Mario (Jacob Vargas) eating, whilst discussing a previous case. It becomes apparent that Sarah is clearly still troubled greatly by this case, in which a number of her fellow officers were massacred around her. Both officers have an ongoing investigation running in search of the murderers, though as yet nothing is coming up.
With the emotional baggage following Sarah home, her partner Kate (Rachelle Lefevre) reveals she has a new piece of tech which her company has been working on, one that can give the user a vacation from their life. Placing them in a dream state, then selecting aspects from their own self, the device generates for them a “vacation” within a brand new life. Sarah seizes the opportunity instantly and accepts this offer.
Within seconds of activating the tech, George (Terrence Howard) awakens in a Chicago of the Past, with both himself and friend – Chris (Sam Witwer) – chasing down some local gangsters. Here George receives a blow to the head and George’s private physician – Paula (Lara Pulver) – is called as his memory seems to be going. Unbeknownst to Chris and later Paula, actually George’s memory is returning as it becomes updated throughout Sarah’s dream. After a warning of concussion and not to sleep or drink for a few hours, George places on his own virtual reality device and here Sarah instantly wakes.
Suddenly in Sarah’s world she slowly begins to doubt the reality in which she occupies, as does George when he discovers the world he’s now living within.
Here is a Philip K. Dick story reimagined extremely well for the 21st Century. Our original short story which Real Life is based upon, from back in the early 1950’s, centres around a gentleman called George stuck in a job, and also a world, in which he feels he can no longer live free. Then due to a reasons unknown he finds himself able to transport back to a timezone – the 1950’s – in which he adores and returns when he wishes. His behaviour, however doesn’t go unmissed from the powers at be.
Now with Ronald D. Moore’s translation, everything has been shifted ever so slightly. We still have the overlapping realities, always a favourite of Mr. Dick’s writing, but we find Sarah dislikes her job/life not because of boredom and the restraints of powers above, but due to guilt. Then as we discover on the reflected reality for George, his escape from his world comes also from the same darkness he’s found himself in too.
Though it would always be nice to see a direct translation of a Philip K. Dick story, I feel this updated release – directed by Jeffrey Reiner (Fargo, 12 Monkeys) – is perfect for today’s society and viewers. Everything was just right from the lost stare of Anna Paquin, to the confusion and pain given from Terrence Howard. With a slim cast, we the viewers are – at points – left wondering which reality is possibly the real one as world’s crossover.
Yes, people may draw minor comparisons to Total Recall when it comes to dreams and false realities, but if they want to let them. That’s based of another Philip K. Dick story too so there’s no real harm.
Real Life shows what a good writer, with and understanding of Philip K. Dick, can do and this has led to an excellent piece of sci-fi.
Rating: 9/10
