Seconds (1966)

[JackFavell]

Whoa! That's awful! Thank goodness he was able to get past it all and figure that out.... some people would never have the strength to make it through all of that.

[Ann Harding]

I just discovered this thread. I watched Seconds about a week ago. But, unlike many of you, I must admit I didn't like the film that much. I felt the script was not quite what it could have been. The characters felt rather empty to me. I still don't know why this banker decides to have a second life. He seems to be bored with his life and job, but neither aspect is really looked into. Apart from the constant phone calls from a friend, nothing tells us why he decides all of a sudden to go to that 'house' to change personality. After the op', he has suddenly returned to youth. Ok, this is SciFi, but it was a bit hard to buy for me. Then his life is still that empty vacuum it was before. I wished the film had put more into focus his surroundings, friendships, etc. I far prefer Soylent Green which has three-dimensional characters and a real look into everyday society.
Thinking about it, I never understand stories where a middle-aged male finds life boring and cannot get interested in anything. It's probably because I am myself very curious and I am never bored. I remember that I also didn't like Louis Malle's Le feu follet where Maurice Ronet is on the verge of suicide. He has a wife, he has money, he has friends and he still wants to commit suicide. I found him really annoying...