Closed Circuit

With the waft of a BBC movie and with some pretty shoddy production values, Boy A (a film you have to track down that features an early stunning turn from Spider-Man himself Andrew Garfield) director John Crowley's 2013 thriller Closed Circuit starts off in a very mundane way and while not translating into anything more than a well-paced if highly unbelievable thriller it marks itself off as an enjoyable way to pass 90 minutes of your life with a story that will grow on you as the red herrings and mysteries pile up.

Closed Circuit is a certainly a strange name for a movie that really has nothing to do with surveillance, instead Crowley's film focuses on the tensions and discoveries made between Eric Bana's gruff (and very un-British sounding) arrogant lawyer Martin Rose and one time lover Claudia Simmons-Howe played by the always threatening to break out of b grade status Rebecca Hall. These people are not overly likable and the film lacks a figure that can up the feel of the piece as a whole even though it's nice to see fine character actors Ciaran Hinds, Jim Broadbent and a man possibly bound for future stardom in the form of the always great Riz Ahmed get some nice supporting roles. With a lack of real interest for the films body of people it is up to the plot boiler story to carry it through.

As previously mentioned Closed Circuit's story is not really too concerned with being overly believable, in one particular instance it is insinuated that a large government agency such as Mi5 can't hack computers but by and by the story succeeds at grabbing your attention and making you keen enough to see how it all transpires. At the heart of the story is a very intriguing and relatively possible scenario of agency meddling gone wrong and the idea of terrorist attacks on a city like London remain frighteningly possible which gives the film a feeling of current time relevance.

Lacking an acting spark that would have really made Closed Circuit more the sum of its parts, in saying that the film does still remain to be a solid and at times surprising thriller. Ending off proceedings in a manner that shows us just what could have been with this story, Closed Circuit is forgettable yet not regrettable and for topical thrillers that is a refreshing twist.

3 Bran Stark's out of 5

"From infancy on, we are all spies; the shame is not this but that the secrets to be discovered are so paltry and few." John Updike

Thrillers involving international heavy weights like the super British spy agency, MI5, are durable, reeking of intrigue and inscrutability. Such is the case of Closed Circuit with its terrorism incident killing scores of civilians and a subsequent trial at Old Bailey, where Martin Rose (Eric Bana) has been appointed defense counsel for accused spy, Farroukh Erdogan (Denis Moschitto). Many questions are unanswered before the trial, not the least of the answers sealed in documentation not even the accused may see.

The plot has intelligent qualities; the execution not so. Martin's colleague, Claudia (Rebecca Hall), is a special advocate for the defense—only she may see the secret information. Unfortunately they had an affair, a fact that may compromise their case. One of the main players in the investigation is a young boy, a plot turn with possibilities but never fully exploited.

And so it goes, nothing really new after that. Some good guys turn out to be bad, MI5 is not transparent, and the accused is not who we thought he was. The closed circuit motif, introduced at the titles and interspersed throughout, is not as important as the title and occasional shots would suggest. Except for the shots of London around the Eye, nothing seems to be worth spending millions on the film for.

After the secrets have been revealed and the plot twist dutifully rendered, you may leave the theater feeling you missed something. You didn't. It's all a part of the requirements of the genre, perhaps a comforting feeling that you knew it all along. As for me, I missed what it could have been in my favorite city in the world.

Martin Rose (Eric Bana) and Claudia (Rebecca Hall) are assigned to a case to defend Farroukh Erdogan (Denis Mochitto) who is accused of bombing a London market killing 120 plus. Because this case involves classified information Martin and Claudia cannot interact together or they will lose their licenses. Martin is the Defense Lawyer. Claudia is the Defendant's Advocate. Martin will defend in Open Court and Claudia will defend in Closed Session where classified information will be presented. In time, both learn that a government cover-up may be in play. Uh oh! What to do? What to do?

Not sure though if the Advocate person is only assigned when classified info is in play. No matter. It is what it is.

Well, of course, you know that Martin and Claudia will somehow interact and this will cause them to be most careful. Oh, they were lovers a while back. See?

This will not be the thriller you may have expected. No, it's a comfortable ride and the pacing is just right. Some things happen but nothing to put you on the edge of your seat. It's not that kind of thriller, but it is watchable. See?

I enjoyed this but the ending is really weak. Bummer. (5/10)

Violence: Yes. Sex: No. Nudity: No. Language: Yes.

Closed Circuit is a good, although unexceptional, suspense movie. The movie has a strong start but a weak finale, and somewhere in the middle looses stream and starts plodding along to its inevitable conclusion. The story itself tests the limits of plausibility and features principal characters who have little warmth and fail to generate much empathy. The question of government duplicity is treated in an unimaginative manner and fails to generate any sense of concern or outrage. Yet the movie does entertain by generating a certain level of tension, albeit watered down. The question of cover up sustains the story and adds an element of tension. Yet there are no heroes which makes the ending anticlimactic. That certain scenes are set at a football game is unoriginal. Further, the alleged victim of a miscarriage of justice is hardly worthy of empathy and the same goes for his family, especially the fourteen year old son who belongs in juvenile detention. The acting is cheesy, the cinematography unspectacular, the story twists and turns predictable and the movie theme muddled. Yet, this movie should be watched because it dramatizes what happens when the truth is suppressed and transparency is discarded in favor of secrecy.

i just want to say that i only took a peek at the first few lines of the first review on the first page and that was it...and i have to say that i have to agree with the reviewer and as a matter of fact, that was the first thought that occurred to me. this movie is a lot like the movie " ghost writer ", so if you liked aforementioned movie...which i did, then you will probably, most likely enjoy this movie also. did the British government have anything to do with the low rating? this movie was so much more juicier then the " ghost writer "...i mean come on man this is first rate movie making with a bunch of "A" list actors and actresses who were up to the task. there is nothing that i dislike about this movie except for its running time, which is too short for a good thriller like this. this movie literally had me eyes glued to the screen it was so juicy. i like a movie with a lot of twists and tension thru-out the movie and the ending to me was kind of unexpected. Kudos to all involved for coming out with such an entertaining movie.