Quebra de Sigilo

A friend and I were discussing River Phoenix yesterday so last night I decided to watch this movie again for the first time in a while. Let me put this out there first. This isnt an Oscar movie but its really fun. Also for 1992 the technology they are showing didn't exist. There is a lot of "you couldnt do that in 1969/1992 on the internet". Those are my only criticisms. That being said a better cast cannot be found. Its got heavy hitters. The chemistry is great. The pacing is well done. I can watch this over and over. Whats disturbing is how well.it actually forecasts the role of data in our lives now. Theres actually dialog that gets very Edward Snowden-ish that I didn't catch in the 90's or early 2000s. But is so in your face in 2021. That being said I would so watch it again.

Despite its relative obscurity, Sneakers is quickly becoming a cult favorite of the internet generation. It's a perfect blend of romance, tech and adventure that highlights the increasing importance of information. The always beautiful Mary McDonnell as Liz doesn't hurt, either. The soundtrack is arguably the best of James Horner's film scores pre-dating Braveheart, with an ethereal jazzy feel that sets the mood from the opening credits.

For an early nineties movie, Sneakers was remarkably forward thinking in its script and plot. Many of its themes have only become more relevant with the flowering of the data network. All in all a great film for those of you who enjoy flicks like Hudson Hawk or Mission Impossible.

Sneakers is, and has been, one of my favorite movies for years. I saw it on Showtime, and I had to buy it on VHS. Soon after the release of DVD, I bought the DVD version and I watch it ALL the time. This movie is awesome in all aspects. I love the cast, and I love the music. I have the soundtrack on CD, and Branford Marsalis on sax adds so much to the movie and its entire mood. As for the story...funny, exciting, thought- provoking. I made a comment about the visuals, I think they were exciting as well. The camera shots and all, hard to explain, but I love it. I especially love the shots at the start of the movie in the snow, that scene as a whole, camera angles, music, lighting---awesome. What I don't get about the movie is this---how come Redford has to ask his off and on "girlfriend" what encryption is? I thought he was a hacker!? There are a few other times in the movie where he and his "crew" ask questions about computer subjects it seems they should know everything about. I never understood that. Well, that's that....I think the movie is a must see.

This film is the one film of the nineties which I can watch again and again without getting bored. That's not to say it's the best, no no no, but there's something about this movie which I just can't get enough of. It's easily the most frequently used tape in my limited video library.

Mainly it's the cast; quality names down the length of the list, and each one, from Robert Redford heading the motley crew of good guys (Dan Ackroyd and Sidney Poitier especially good) to Ben Kingsley as a deliciously cool but insecure villain. They're all clearly having such a good time as they're making the movie that you can't help but join them; it's infectious.

It's also surprisingly timeless. Seven years have passed since this movie came out, which is a long time in the gadget world in which this film is based, but none of their equipment or techniques (except a brief glimpse of a now outdated version of Windows but that's REALLY nitpicking) seem out of date; it could still be today.

And then there's the moments. This is a film based on a whole load of brilliantly memorable moments. When they find out what the mysterious black box actually does, it's truly chilling. All the little tricks of their trade on display are each a delight, from setting off fire alarms to being on the other end of the phone when the fire service is subsequently called. And the ending, in my opinion, is one of the most satisfying, and hilarious, conclusions ever captured on film.

In case you hadn't noticed, I love this movie. A great score, a great cast, and a whole lot of fun. Whether you got to these comments because you want to know if this film was worth seeing, or whether a training shoe web-search somehow ended you up here against your will, you really should see this film. It's a hugely entertaining piece of the nineties. And Robert Redford has done nothing better since.

At a key point in the plot, the device that might be able to get past any computer encrypted password needs to be tested. Carl (River Phoenix) is asked what is the hardest computer to hack into, "give me the number for something impossible to access." He answers, "The Federal Reserve transfer node, Culpeper, Virginia." Mother (Dan Aykroyd) adds, "900 billion a day goes through there."

Between December 10, 1969 and July 1992, this same building in Culpeper housed four computers through which the majority of transactions of the 5,700 US banks were processed. It was also a bomb bunker that stored about four billion dollars cash. These cash reserves and computers could be used to keep business transactions going on throughout the eastern half of the United States in the event that Washington DC was bombed in a nuclear war making cash there radioactive and unusable. Interestingly this build was decommissioned in June of 1992 just months before the film "Sneakers" opened in September of 1992. Since 2007 this building has been home to the National Audio-Visual Conservation Center at the Packard Campus of the Library of Congress where over 6 million items of the nation's audio recordings, television and motion pictures are stored and preserved, including the copyright print of "Sneakers."