Surveillance

A good thriller is my favorite genre and I was hooked into this film within the first few seconds and stayed involved for the entire ride. It kept me guessing throughout. The contrast between eerie cop shop and stark, beautiful prairies is a stylish treat for the eyes. The performances are believable and compelling. Well cast, without exception. The little girl is surprisingly good. Her even performance made me wonder about what had happened to her and drew me into the story. When she wasn't on screen, I worried about her safety. The ending is a clever, eerie choice. I was taken completely by surprise and I usually predict a telegraphed ending a mile away. In this case, any other choice would be a cop-out (pardon the pun). I was glad that the director resisted the temptation for a blood-fest. It could have gone much further in that vein. Instead the tension relied upon intelligent visual storytelling. Kudos to everyone involved. I thoroughly enjoyed this film.

How have I not heard of this movie before? Absolutely fantastic. It's difficult to review a movie by Jennifer Lynch without comparing it to the work of her father. 'Surveillance' possesses the Lynchian small town banality, stilted dialogue, awkward character dynamics, brutal violence, truly twisted killers, and generally off-kilter weirdness that you'd expect. But despite the stylistic similarities, the two are very different filmmakers. 'Surveillance' has a far more traditional structure with a familiar art-house/indie conceit of multiple perspectives and unreliable narrators. The central mystery is expertly revealed through the eyewitness accounts of several individuals, slowly building the sense of dread to a knock-out last act revelation that doesn't disappoint. One of the best thrillers in recent years and deserving of a much larger audience. More than enough evidence that Jennifer Lynch is a talent in her own right.

One thing is for sure, "Surveillance" is different. Different in structure, different in presentation. It is re-watchable, if for no other reason than to see if the script holds up to analysis. Generally I tend to avoid films with a lot of flashbacks, but in this case, the three points of view presented are intriguing. Acting and character development are acceptable. The film has strong violence and some perverted sexual situations, but hey, this is not supposed to be family entertainment. It is what it is, and what it is, is different. I found it to be entertaining because the unique presentation held interest. Give "Surveillence" a try if you are looking for something beyond the obvious. - MERK

Friends...Let me show you the POWER...of the DARK SIDE! Jennifer Lynch, daughter of David Lynch (Mullholand Dr.... Yes, I can see that!) You can rest assured, with each passing year, Ms. Lynch's name will grow ever more prominent! Several friends have rated this 6*. Hmmm, up front, for the record, 9*; loud and clear, front and center. My prognostication: SURVEILLANCE will soon attain "Cult Classic" status, with legions of aficionados. You heard it here first, from the ID of Dr. Morbius!

Now I will tell you exactly WHY: Almost from the very onset, the underlying tension, the nail-biting, sparks-flying friction between characters is hypnotic and entrancingly numbing. Surveillance is beyond dark, to the point of being "Non-commercial"! Now.....is that good? Well, you'll just have to decide that for yourself!

Lots of reviewers have mentioned the "surprise ending". Can't really say anything about that now... Can I???.... Beacuse, obviously, it would cease being a surpuise!!! So.... Without going into any detail... IMHO there are quite obviously 2 back-to-back, from-out-of-left-field plot twists at the end of the movie. Well 3, if you count the...OOPS! I can't really say, now can I? Ms. Lynch is really up to snuff on her movie-making technique. Editing, camera-angles, photography, close-ups, and pacing; SUPERB, ALL of them! WOW!

SURVEILLANCE wasn't a .22 bullet to my brain...it was a .45! Blew my mind in one fell swoop! But this film has "POLARIZING" written all over it! From all soul-searching reviewers, we should see lots of either 8 to 10* ratings, or 2* and 3* Ratings! The violence, although mostly not extremely graphic, nor taking up much on-screen time... To be PRECISE my EXACT rating is 8.5********* but since the only way to express that clearly is putting it in writing...as I am doing right now! This film will really HAUNT YOU!..... ENJOY!

The FBI agents Elizabeth Anderson (Julia Ormond) and Sam Hallaway (Bill Pullman) come to a police station in the middle of the desert to interview the three survivors of a massacre of a serial-killer that they are hunting. The girl Stephanie (Ryan Simpkins); the junkie Bobbi Prescott (Pell James) and the abusive patrol officer Jack Bennett (Kent Harper) are placed in separate rooms and their hearings are recorded through cameras under the surveillance of Agent Sam. Each one tells part of the gore event; when three bodies are found in a motel, the solution of the case seems to be near to be resolved.

"Surveillance" is a weird thriller that uses the idea of "Rashomon", with three persons telling different views of a tragic event. I personally disclosed the plot point based on the weird behavior of Sam Hallaway, but anyway the surprising twist gives a totally different sequence to the result of the investigation. After the uncomfortable "Boxing Helena", Jennifer Lynch returns with another sick and violent story and bizarre characters. I liked this movie but it is recommended for very specific audiences. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Sob Controle" ("Under Control")