Closed Circuit (2013)

This movie tries to work on the audience's paranoia by showing them that the government, or a greater power, has control over everything and sees everything... you are nothing but a pawn in their game... should you try to challenge them then you are expendable.It comes close to succeeding until you realise the amount of manpower surveillance on this scale would take. It's just not feasible. Though forget that and you have a pretty decent conspiracy theory movie about a bumbled MI5 operation and the lengths they will go to correct their error.Eric Bana proves his acting talent once again by giving a good portrayal of a lawyer dropped into the mess. Scared and worried about the outcome, not just for himself but ex-girlfriend and colleague, Claudia Simmons-Howe, and the child of the suspected terrorist whose lives are at risk.Though Eric Bana gives a good performance as Martin Rose, along with Jim Broadbent as the Attorney General, it's Rebecca Hall as Claudia that lets the story down. I'm not sure if it's her acting or the director's vision of this character. I like the idea of Claudia not fully understanding the situation she's gotten into and later having to rely on Rose for help and to keep her alive as he is the savviest of the pair. She comes across as too weak and I cannot believe she achieved the position she holds.The story is a little convoluted at times with twists, hints, and allegations being brandished about. The concept of Trust No One is very evident in this film and you have trouble figuring out who to believe and who not to. This hinders the story somewhat because you know what the story is about right from the start it's just the journey to a satisfactory ending you're on and you better fasten that seatbelt... it sure is a bumpy ride.This one is a must for the conspiracy theory nuts, of which I am one, though be warned it's not a smooth ride.

Appointed to defend a foreigner accused of planning an elaborate terrorist attack, two British lawyers become increasingly convinced that a government conspiracy is afoot and that their client is merely a scapegoat. Promising a premise as this might be, things are far more complex and convoluted here - something that renders 'Closed Circuit' more thought-provoking than the average conspiracy thriller but also far less intense and involving. With the past romantic history of the two lawyers, which they have to keep secret while working on the case together (why not admit it straight up?) without communicating with one another since part of the trial is being heard in closed court where only one of them is present, the film gets bogged down in so much exposition that there rarely is a chance for any sense of paranoia to develop. Considering the economical runtime (just over 90 minutes), it also often feels like too much time is dedicated to the drama between the lawyers as opposed to the drama that they are meant to be investigating... though the film actually overstays its welcome with an extraneous final scene. Comedy veteran actor Jim Broadbent is also a tad miscast in a role that a more sinister dramatic actor would usually play. Eric Bana and Rebecca Hall are at least solid in the main roles and they manage to carry the film through its less exciting patches. The film also deserves some marks for effectively including CCTV footage at several key points, if not quite as frequently as one might expect based on the very promising promotional posters.

Edward Snowden's revelations of the NSA's sweeping espionage program brought domestic surveillance to the public eye, which makes John Crowley's "Closed Circuit" all the more relevant. It probably got filmed before Snowden's revelations, but its depiction of a terrorism trial also correlates to the trial of the Tsarnaev brothers (charged with perpetrating the bombing of the Boston Marathon). The multiple cameras give a sense of this surveillance, especially since the British government has become a US proxy in Europe. What Eric Bana's and Rebecca Hall's barristers learn in the process of defending the suspect still pales in comparison to the scope of the surveillance. I recommend this movie and also "Citizenfour".

It's a fine movie. I personally liked the portrayal of the hardships we experience on providing due process when the facts involve terrorism - I don't know why, but people seem to forget they too deserve a fair trial for their actions. It also gives the viewer a glimpse of the mechanisms of a judiciary system. I liked the very fact that this time, the judge is not the bad guy stomping on the truth with his power. He was trying to get the facts and reach a reasonable decision, he was trying to serve justice (weren't they all?). In most movies, the power hungry lunatic killing everyone in the name of his secrets is always the judge. That's a very unfair portrayal. Must judges are pretty out of the so-called loop of power sit on their benches just doing their jobs, giving back to their community. Another thing I liked (a lot): it doesn't have a happy ending. It has a human ending, a plausible one. Something we can relate to (and for some, it even fuels up that "I'll save the world" feeling). I found it a good thriller and was very surprised to see it had little to none promotion. We have some many meh flicks these days... And a movie as nice as this one, is kept in the shadows. Go figure. The acting is delicious - Bana held his own as a Brit! Congrats. And it felt soooooooo good to see the Queen again. Anne-Marie Duff is always a sight to sore eyes on screen (and till this day I secretly wish she was in Game of Thrones or played the very last Doctor on BBC, that would be marvelous). Julia Stiles felt a bit underused here. I wish she was more like Denzel on "The Pelican Brief". Rebecca Hall and Jim Broadbent, as always, impeccable. And did anyone see little Bran here? Isaac H. Wright is Bana's son - the cinematography is AWESOME, the story feels well written and tight, the pacing keeps you on your edge. I enjoyed the flick very much.