Black Mirror Recap: We’ll Always Have Paris

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Have you ever pondered the idea of mingling with old-time Hollywood legends? In the unusually long episode, “Hotel Reverie,” of season seven, this timeless dream is explored. The innovative technology used here is called ReDream, which enables Kimmy (portrayed by Awkwafina as both ambitious and genuine) and her team to reimagine classic films with modern stars in the leading roles. Picture Glen Powell taking Audrey Hepburn’s place in “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” for a rainy kiss, or Jennifer Lawrence captivating Cary Grant and Jimmy Stewart with her Katherine Hepburn-inspired performance in “The Philadelphia Story.

Judith Keyworth, played by Harriet Walter, from Keyworth Pictures, reluctantly consents to grant Kimmy access to her vintage collection, as a means to settle studio debts and revitalize a fading label. Kimmy’s ambition is to remake the classic noir mystery, Hotel Reverie, an old black-and-white thriller about a captivating physician, a sorrowful heiress he becomes enamored with, and her scheming husband. The majority of top-tier actors they approach for the role of Dr. Alex Palmer are either occupied or indifferent, but there’s one exception: Brandy Friday, played by Issa Rae, who is tired of portraying gloomy leads in independent films and monotonous supporting roles in big-budget productions. Instead, she desires to embody the character of Palmer herself.

After securing the job, Brandy begins her preparations for the film. This includes jotting down notes, memorizing lines, and studying captivating screen tests featuring Emma Corrin as Dorothy Chambers, the troubled actress who portrayed heiress Clara Ryce in a previous production. A week later, when she arrives in England, Brandy discovers that she’ll be working directly with Dorothy, or rather an AI simulation of the character Clara, performed by Dorothy herself. They’ll rehearse Hotel Reverie once, similar to a play, and aim to piece together an entire movie within the two hours they have on stage. This self-contained fictional world serves as their stage, where they hope to create a film from scratch. Not much persuasion is needed for Brandy, who agrees to immerse herself in the experience, assured that she’ll be rescued if she strays too far from the script.

The issue at hand is whether people would genuinely appreciate a remake like this, given its strong resemblance to the original in terms of plot and visual style, but with Ryan Reynolds’ iconic “I’ve seen an iPhone” expression inserted into a 1940s setting. I understand the allure of being immersed in an old film and receiving adoration from a character reminiscent of Marilyn Monroe, but the thought of Miles Teller interacting with Rita Hayworth feels ethically questionable, not to mention uninteresting beyond serving as a meme. This problem is similar to the one I encountered with “Joan Is Awful” last year: The idea behind AI/deep-fakes is convincing, but the content itself falls short. Furthermore, I’m puzzled by ReDream’s decision to swap only one actor; why not recast Clara alongside Palmer? However, it seems they might be aiming for cost efficiency and end up creating a standard remake instead.

Brandi adapts swiftly to the simulation. Despite her mistakes, such as not being able to play the piano and causing trouble in the “Clair de Lune” scene that results in Madam Roban’s dog drinking a harmful substance instead of Madam Roban herself, she manages to recover gracefully and reach similar plot points by taking an alternate route. A slip-up where she uses “Dorothy” instead of Clara sets off an echo, vaguely reminding her character of the melancholic actress who played her originally. However, Brandi turns this mistake into a conversation about Clara’s solitary marriage and forms a deeper connection with her. Even unconventional phrases like “life crap” contribute to Clara’s growing fascination with Brandi, which appears different from her usual attraction towards the male character Alex Palmer.

The setup of observing Kimmy and her crew guide the simulation, much like ground control communicating with astronauts, carries an air of excitement. However, it’s a bit overly dramatic, especially when intricate, abstract measures are simplified into vibrant bar graphs showing “narrative coherence” and “romantic appeal.” It’s questionable if Brandy’s repeated dialogue errors (such as addressing Kimmy instead of Clara) will make the final cut. Will it be edited like a typical movie or portrayed exactly as Brandy lived it? The constraints here seem somewhat arbitrary, lacking substantial justification. There doesn’t appear to be a valid reason for the team to only have two hours to film this movie, nor why they can’t redo takes or combine multiple ones like in standard production. It appears that these limitations are imposed solely to maintain the required level of suspense.

The narrative veers less towards a comedic critique of Hollywood and more into the realm of suspenseful survival drama. If Brandy fails to deliver the iconic “I’ll be yours forevermore” line at the climax, she risks being trapped in this world indefinitely as her physical body decays. Despite her capabilities, Palmer’s encounter with Clara takes a steamier and more empowered turn compared to the original film. However, an unfortunate accident occurs when someone from Kimmy’s team spills coffee on crucial equipment (a classic rookie error), causing the live feed to cut out, leaving Brandy and Clara in an eerie, silent standstill where everyone else seems motionless. After a brief spell of distress, Brandy reveals the truth about her existence to Clara, which sends shockwaves through this AI who has just discovered she is artificial intelligence.

In more casual terms, the latest episode of Black Mirror seems to have pushed the boundaries of its signature theme involving self-aware AI and digital clones deserving of life. However, it offers a fresh spin: characters Brandy and Clara gradually develop real feelings for each other over several months, with time seemingly progressing at an accelerated pace outside their reality. An unsettling journey to the edge of the set allows Clara to absorb some recollections of the actress who portrayed her, an actress who grappled with maintaining a public image while secretly dating women. Yet, the query lingers: Is Clara’s affection for Brandy merely a scripted emotion?

When communication is restored within Kimmy’s team, Brandy is suddenly transported back to the last saved point: the seduction scene, a role she performed months prior. Clara doesn’t recall the genuine (or somewhat genuine) love tale they recently experienced together, which leaves Brandy feeling betrayed by how swiftly those moments were forgotten. It’s not entirely rational for Brandy to ponder leaving her real life behind to remain with Clara in the simulation eternally, but Kimmy shouldn’t be surprised if Brandy takes some time to adjust; beyond romance, Brandy’s consciousness was disconnected from reality for several months, which could cause distress for anyone. Generally speaking, while Awkwafina delivers a commendable performance, it’s challenging to grasp Kimmy’s specific role and placement within the narrative in this scene.

In a surprising turn of events, Brandy executes the latest third-act rewrite, hurrying to the police station opposite to alert Inspector Lavigne about the dangerous Claude and arrange for his identification in the climactic rooftop scene. However, upon returning to the roof, the ending unfolds quite differently from the original film: Clara kills her husband to protect Brandy/Palmer, but Brandy decides to take the blame to spare Clara from prison time. When the police arrive, Clara shoots Lavigne instead of having him deliver his intended line about identifying Palmer, ultimately getting shot and succumbing in Brandy/Palmer’s arms. Consequently, Hotel Reverie becomes a heart-wrenching tale.

When Brandi reaches the end of her adventure and returns to reality, the story transitions to a movie preview segment. She receives a phone from Kimmy that links to ReDream, allowing Brandi to “call” Dorothy using a simulation of an actress portraying a phone conversation. While it’s thoughtful, it’s also a bit strange because this isn’t the real person Brandi fell for in the simulation. Moreover, it’s not a real person at all; it’s like a highly realistic AI model mimicking the old actress’ responses based on possible scenarios, which isn’t particularly innovative. Can Brandi contact this Dorothy whenever she wants, and does this version of Dorothy create memories?

The episode ‘Hotel Reverie’ in Black Mirror was entertaining, yet some loose storytelling and plot inconsistencies kept it from being a memorable highlight of the season. While the final scenes carried an emotional impact, they didn’t reach the level of poignancy found in episodes like ‘Her’ or ‘San Junipero.’

Final Reflections

In this episode, I didn’t delve deeply into the performances, but Issa Rae truly shines as an engaging protagonist, just as one would anticipate. Moreover, Emma Corrin skillfully portrays Dorothy/Clara’s complex inner journey, blending confusion with recognition. Harriet Walter may not have a substantial role, but her presence adds a touch of warmth to the series.

Does it hold true that seven seconds elapse in the simulation for each real-life second, or could this be an approximation? Since they momentarily catch a glimpse of Clara playing the piano for Brandy in the film, it seems the timeline in the movie is not significantly later than their own.

What topics did Brandy and Clara (or Dorothy) discuss? Did Brandy reveal her true origins? I found myself wishing for a deeper exploration of their dialogues, as it would help foster a stronger emotional bond between them.

• Kimmy’s package at the end comes from Junipero Drive.

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2025-04-10 17:56