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After having found out there are virtually endless dimensions (or
planes of reality, if you will) young scientist Henry (Juan C. Rodriguez)
find a way to communicate with one of these other dimensions - which alone
is enough to be regarded a groundbreaking success. But for Henry it's
more, as Anne (Kate Paulsen), the scientist from the other dimension who
is handling communications from their side, is not only a likeable person
... the two fall madly in love with each other, fully aware they'll never
be able to meet physically - but they do manage to slip off into their
fantasies time and again to get the most of their relationship under these
unusual circumstances - until it's found out that their inter-dimensional
contact will end in a few months time as the dimensions are not totally in
synch ... and Henry tries to fight it, refuses to give up, lets anger be
his guide - until the inevitable happens and Anne is gone for good. Only
on his death bed, Henry (Paul Kandarian) realizes he could have spent his
time much better than throwing it away in rage ... Parallel
is first and foremost a really really touching film that shows that the
science fiction genre is capable for being so much more than a mere
template for action stories involving giant robots and spaceships. And
while I'm sure the "science" in this one would not stand a fact
check (but heck, that's why it's called science fiction), the
film's not really about wowing the audience with futuristic advancements
at all but very much about us humans just being humans, humans in love,
making mistakes and (hopefully) learning from them - and despite all the
sci-fi trimmings, Parallel does that in a very intimate and
personal way.
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