SWAN SONG – Review by T. J. Callahan

In his first starring role, Mahershala Ali hopes Swan Song trumpets his talents as a leading man for quite a while. In this near future thriller, Ali plays a loving husband and father diagnosed with a terminal illness who secretly clones himself to save his family the grief of losing him…and giving the viewer lots of moral and ethical questions to ponder.

But I had a few housekeeping questions as well: How was the cloning done? What’s his illness? How did his wife not know he was sneaking off to recreate himself? Didn’t she notice lots of money missing from their bank account because this procedure couldn’t be free? Will his schnitzengruben still work?

So, as good as the performances are in this film and mp matter how unique and original this story is, Swan Song leaves us treading water. Ali, reunited with his Moonlight co-star, Naomi Harris, digs deep debating about whether or not to alter his family’s fate and how much he’s willing to sacrifice.

Glenn Close is a pseudo Dr. Frankenstein (that’s Fronkensteen), who tries to assure that her carefully calculated concept of molecular regeneration is the right thing to do.

If you like to debate movies after viewing, Swan Song is for you, but if you are a creature of plausibility, hum a different tune. My husband, Ricky, says Swan Song is no ugly duckling, he gives the film 2 eyes open.