Sob Controle

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")

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

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.

As if to demonstrate the old adage that "the apple doesn't fall far from the tree," director Jennifer Lynch gave the world in her belated sophomore effort, 2008's "Surveillance," a film just as disturbing as any in her father David's oeuvre. Her follow-up to 1993's "Boxing Helena," the film follows two very atypical FBI agents, portrayed by Bill Pullman and Julia Ormond, who are investigating a string of homicides in the plains of Nowheresville. (The picture was shot in the grasslands outside of Regina, Saskatchewan.) The pair interviews three salient witnesses: a young female coke addict (Pell James, who is excellent here), a local cop and an 8-year-old girl (Lynch elicits a wonderfully mature performance from young Ryan Simpkins). By the film's end, the conflicting accounts yield a somewhat clearer picture, before a twist ending really pulls the rug out from under the viewer. Indeed, this ending--a remarkably downbeat, merciless and outrageous shocker--should stun and flabbergast most of the film's audience. A repeat viewing of "Surveillance" demonstrates how very fairly the writers and Lynch have played their game, and will give an added appreciation for certain actors in the cast. "I promise you, it's not like the other films you'll see," Ms. Lynch tells us in one of the DVD's copious extras, and darn if she isn't right! I cannot offhand think of another picture so deliberately amoral, and so blithely ruthless in the treatment of its entire roster of characters. While some might walk away from "Surveillance" clucking "sick, sick, sick," most, I feel, will applaud its bravura daring, technical brilliance, fine acting and shocking windup. It's certainly not a movie to watch with the kids or with Aunt Petunia, but for those game for something different, it should just prove the ticket....

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.