Reviewer's grade: D

 

What would have been a thrilling film centering around anesthetic awareness "? where you are put to sleep, but don't fall asleep during surgery, and can feel everything "? is ruined by the distractingly bad performance from Hayden Christensen (Anakin Skywalker of the "Star Wars" films) who plays the lead role.

 

Christensen is rich heir Clay Beresford, who has a heart condition and a complex with his overprotective mom (Lena Olin, TV's "Alias"). He is engaged to her assistant (Jessica Alba, "Into the Blue") and they hide the relationship because Clay isn't man enough to fess up to Mommy dearest. Clay is on the donor list for a new ticker, and when it's off to the hospital for a transplant, the anesthesia doesn't do the trick, allowing Clay to feel every cut and hear about a plot led by the doc (Terrence Howard, "Hustle and Flow") to kill him.

 

Time "? and Clay's heart "? are ticking as he tries to uncover the scheme and save his own life. "Awake" has all the makings of a good thriller, except for the terrible acting by Christensen, which ruins it. R

 

"?Joe Wertz 

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