Brainstorm (1983)

A researcher (Louise Fletcher) and her colleague (Christopher Walken) have developed a device that allows the recording of someone's feelings and transferring them to another person via an electronic headset. But they are unaware that their boss (Cliff Robertson) has sold them out to the U.S. government who has plans for the device that were never intended. One of only two films directed by the special effects wizard Douglas Trumball (the other one was SILENT RUNNING), most noted for his stunning work on Kubrick's 2001. It's an ambitious film but too much of it is wasted on the domestic problems of Walken and his wife (Natalie Wood) which simply aren't compelling enough to earn our interest. The film's special effects and visuals are excellent but to what end? The film's resolution has a bit of THE BLACK HOLE, a bit of ALTERED STATES but its new age-ish gibberish makes very little intellectual or artistic sense. It's a double pity because this was Wood's last film (she died during production) and it would have been nice if it had been a stronger swan song.  Fletcher's performance is a strong plus as is James Horner's underscore. With Jordan Christopher and Darrell Larson.