The Silver Screen Oasis

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.

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...