Creative Control

Creative Control, directed by Benjamin Dickinson (who also stars in the leading role), was released in 2015, and co-stars Nora Zehetner and Dan Gill. Positioned in the near future of Brooklyn, the movie is a clever interpolation of technology, human relationships, and moral dilemmas. It artfully intertwines the nuances of augmented reality with the complexities of human emotion, against the backdrop of a modern, techno-savvy world.

The protagonist, David (Benjamin Dickinson), is a high strung, ambitious advertising executive working in a cutting-edge tech firm. The film takes you on a journey tracing David's life, which at first glance might seem perfect with a successful career and a beautiful, yoga instructor girlfriend, Juliette (Nora Zehetner). But below the surface, his life is spiraling out of control, fueled by perpetual substance abuse and strained relationships. David is wrestling with the pressures of his demanding job, an unstable personal life and an internal turmoil that he can neither understand nor articulate.

The turning point in the movie arrives when David's firm locks in a game-changing client, Augmenta, an unprecedented, hitherto unseen piece of technology. The innovation is a pair of glasses that create a virtually indistinguishable, augmented reality, a sort of superior, more efficient version of Google glasses. David is tasked with a high-stake assignment of creating an impressive ad campaign for this product. His immense exposure to this tech gear becomes an important part of the narrative, with his reality gradually blurring into the virtual world created by the glasses.

As David immerses himself more into this virtual world, he becomes obsessed with his best friend's girlfriend, Sophie (Alexia Rasmussen), who he perceives as an escape from his troubled reality. Spiraling further into the depths of obsession and disillusion, David soon builds a visually perfect, virtual version of Sophie using his Augmenta glasses.

The movie very creatively draws parallels to our current relationship with technology. It deals with how the line between our digital lives and real-world existence is continually blurring, and at times transpiring to be nearly imperceptible. Creative Control presents a powerful critique of our usually unchecked consumption and reliance on technology, which in trying to simplify life, often ends up complicating it further.

While the technology is often at the forefront, the film is also distinct in its portrayal of flawed human relationships. The tale amplifies the human tendency to escape reality, seeking solace in a world that is often far removed from it. Everything in David’s life, his relationships, his perception of people, his sense of right and wrong, are manipulated by his interaction with the virtual world, offering a stark and deep observation of how technology manipulates human existence and relationships.

The film's aesthetics are a masterstroke in themselves. The combination of monochromatic color themes and slick, futuristic images gives the movie a distinctive look, mapping out a techno-consumerist future that appears both dauntingly impersonal and tantalizingly stylish. The production design and cinematography collaborate to generate an almost dystopian future feel.

Benjamin Dickinson as David delivers an incredible performance, balancing the fine line between his flawed human persona and an even more fractured virtual alter-ego. Nora Zehetner and Dan Gill deliver notable performances, their characters serving as catalysts for David's ultimate unraveling.

Creative Control then is a cautionary tale, a prophetic narrative, and an acute observation of modern society's paradoxical relationship with technology. It is about humans mirroring machines and vice versa in an increasingly digitized world. As the film engages with its integral themes - technology, humanity, relationships - it invites the audience into a resonating discourse about our own reality. It asks how far removed we are from the denizens of this near-future world and whispers warnings about a potential future that feels unnervingly close to our present. The movie is a must-watch for those intrigued by the impact of technology on human identity and relationships.