"The Final Cut" starring Robin Williams (2004)

I happened on this days of future past sci-fi film by chance.

I couldn't figure out how come I had never heard of it other than perhaps it was one of many movies that, for whatever reason, went straight to DVD without even appearing in theaters.

But Robin Williams is almost always good and sci-fi — especially about memories and their manipulation — is something I have a weakness for, so what the heck, I figured, go for it.

The movie revolves around something called a Zoe implant, which costs a small fortune and is a kind of biologically-based memory chip which, when placed and activated in utero, from that second on records everything that happens to a person as seen through their eyes, with every frame time-stamped.

After a Zoe-implanted individual dies, the family hires a specialist called a "cutter" to download the footage and create a kind of video memorial of that person, a two-hour long "Rememory."

Headstones in cemeteries in this future world feature continually running Rememory loops for anyone who cares to watch.

The plot of the film involves a particularly controversial individual and the proposed creation of his Rememory by Williams, considered the go-to cutter for people whose lives might be unbearable to watch by most cutters.

Imagine for a second, if you will, what it would be like to have someone watch everything you've ever done through your eyes — even the things you pretend never happened.

Not a pleasant thought, is it?

I believe no one's life could withstand this kind of scrutiny without an outside observer turning away in dismay and disgust every now and then.

Or maybe you're a better person than me and most people I know, and so the secret parts of your life wouldn't trouble anyone.

I'm not betting on it, though.

But I digress.

I liked the movie — but I don't think most people would.