SWAN SONG: Mahershala Ali, Meet Mahershala Ali
Apple TV+’s confusingly titled sci-fi drama is well-acted but unsatisfying
What’s in a name? Quite a lot, as it turns out. In 2021, two prominent American films were each released under the title Swan Song. Director Todd Stephens’ gentle, poignant indie drama, which stars Udo Kier as an elderly gay hairdresser nearing the end of his colorful life, won critical acclaim at this year’s SXSW. Last week, Kier received an Independent Spirit Award nod for Best Male Lead — an inspired, worthy nomination. Rather than simply altering the name of their planned Mahershala Ali sci-fi flick, Apple went full steam ahead on Benjamin Cleary’s Swan Song. For his dual performance as a man and his clone, Ali earned a Golden Globe nomination in the category of Best Actor in a Motion Picture — Drama. That two entirely different films were released in the same year with the same title is sure to confuse average viewers in search of either movie. Then again, in the dystopia that is our modern world, does something so trivial even register as a problem? Alas, Stephens’ Swan Song is easily the stronger of the identically named efforts. Despite impressive work from its cast and an attempt to tackle heavy issues, Cleary’s film fails to hit the emotional marks necessary to leave much of an impact.
The sci-fi Swan Song stars Ali as Cameron Turner, a devoted family man who discovers after experiencing multiple unexplained seizures that he is terminally ill. Fearful of breaking the news to his family and leaving them devastated, Cameron visits the mysterious Dr. Eve Scott (Glenn Close) to discuss the possibility of replacing himself with a fully functional, identical clone with all of his memories. Cameron’s predicament is quite a moral quandary, making him unsure whether it would be more beneficial to his wife Poppy (Naomie Harris) and young son to face the truth and die with dignity, or to seamlessly switch places with his clone and leave them unaware that any loss ever occurred. While at Dr. Scott’s headquarters, he befriends Kate (Awkwafina), a sick woman who already underwent the process of cloning and replacement. More significantly, Cameron comes face to face with … himself.
For all its lofty ideas, Swan Song seems unwilling to treat them with a befitting depth. Cleary’s film looks nice enough and uses music well, but the script is all surface level. Until near the admittedly intriguing ending, none of what should be meaningful registers with more than a shrug. The film depicts Cameron’s dilemma as a morally complex one, which it is, yet we do not learn enough about his family or even Cameron himself to truly understand the gravity of his decision. In particular, his relationship with Poppy is frustratingly unemotional. Swan Song theoretically goes through the proper steps to convey their love, but with the film having a certain unintended coldness about it, the connection lands as one-dimensional. Swan Song bears a vague similarity to last year’s Nine Days, another slice of cerebral sci-fi focused on issues of mortality among a group of people living in a fantastical environment. Specifically, Nine Days centers on unborn souls hoping to be sent to Earth, from the perspective of the man who must determine their worthiness. It succeeds where Swan Song does not, using atmosphere and emotion to build a rich, intriguing world.
Ali, of course, is an Oscar winner for his crucial supporting role in Moonlight, so any performance from him comes with high expectations. The shortcomings of Swan Song are no fault of his, as he overcomes the script’s limitations to deliver a strong performance, mustering as much insight as he can. Close’s material is disappointingly thin, making it unlikely that she will receive the same accolades as last year’s captivating turn as Memaw in Hillbilly Elegy. Awkwafina provides further proof that she can handle dramatic roles with ease, though her character is underwritten as well. Naomie Harris, at least, is used to far greater effect than in the excerable Venom: Let There Be Carnage. Swan Song might be the noblest of failures, a harmless, watchable film well-suited for a rainy weekend afternoon, but by not taking advantage of a promising set-up and star-studded cast, it does unfortunately go down as a slight misfire.
Swan Song is now available to stream on Apple TV+.
