Godsend

There’s no reason why the ever-topical subject of cloning shouldn’t inspire an intelligent, Cronenberg-esque thriller addressing the controversial moral, ethical and practical aspects of the debate. Which is precisely what we don’t get with this predictably crass Hollywood treatment of a serious, complex issue. Paul (Kinnear) and Jessie (Romijn-Stamos) are devastated when their son Adam is killed shortly after his eighth birthday. Maverick geneticist Prof Richard Wells (De Niro) interrupts their grieving with a proposition, and a few months later Jessie gives birth to another baby boy. All goes well with this ‘new’ Adam, until he passes the age at which his predecessor died. Just like the reborn Adam, ‘Godsend’ only functions properly up to a certain point: the protracted, convoluted dénouement is an embarrassingly nonsensical misfire.