Review of Closed Circuit (2013) by Matt L — 30 Aug 2013

Terrorism is obviously a very real threat in the world today. In the post-9/11 world, security is at an all-time high, while the government has its eyes and ears on virtually every single thing we do. Terror threats often dominate the news on a seemingly daily basis, and despite our greatest fear of future global attacks, terrorism is still the basis for countless means of entertainment. Television shows, like 24 and Homeland, are and have been extremely popular, all the while films, like Olympus Has Fallen, White House Down, and Zero Dark Thirty attempt to entertain and amuse the masses. It's a twisted concept to be sure, meaning it's our greatest fear, but it also makes for great entertainment. Sure, the same thing can be said for any works of fiction, although most fictitious threats are just that - fiction. Terrorism is a regular occurrence in the world and is also the subject of the new British drama, Closed Circuit.

John Crowley (Is Anybody There?) directs Closed Circuit, starring Eric Bana as Martin Rose and Rebecca Hall as Claudia Simmons-Howe. Both Rose and Simmons-Howe, who've had a destructive romantic relationship in the past, take on a high-profile British defendant that allegedly exploded a truck in a public-filled area, killing more than 100 innocent people. However, in the process of looking over the evidence against their defendant, they discover their client might actually be innocent. The incident is a matter of national security, but MI5 is working to keep the detrimental pieces of information a secret and away from the general public. Julia Stiles, Jim Broadbent, and Riz Ahmed also star in supporting roles.

The film opens with several different camera views of the same incident, which focuses on a box truck backing up and then exploding in a crowded, public place. Although the casualty count is revealed to be just over 100 people, the pending court trial for the man blamed for the attack is touted as the biggest trial in British history. While an attack of this magnitude is undoubtedly a big deal, the plot is surely blown way out of proportion - or maybe it wasn't blown out of proportion enough. It's difficult to predict how the news media will handle any given situation in this day and age. Regardless, the story quickly loses its interest and becomes about two individuals, portrayed by Bana and Hall, that couldn't keep their hands off each other, which eventually led to the divorce of Bana's character. Now, Bana and Hall's characters don't get along at all - and are both about to be vital participants in the defense of the accused bomber.

One minute this film is about an explosion, then a relationship, and eventually about procedural matters as they pertain to the British court - and finally the government. It's not that the British parliamentary process isn't interesting. However, it absolutely doesn't sit well in this film. For anyone outside of England (and that's quite a bit of moviegoers), this will all feel very foreign - frankly, because it is just that. The parliamentary court scenes are far different than a typical court trial in the Unites States, but they don't especially play a vital role in this film, other than one particular scene where Hall's character reveals who she believes is really to blame for the bombing. In any event, these scenes contribute to a film that feels mostly off kilter, unorganized, and far too busy for its own good.

Closed Circuit's titled obviously refers to the constant video surveillance taking place in nearly every single scene of this film. It's truly a wonder how anyone has privacy - but that's one of the points being made in this film. There is no privacy - not from the government. With cameras constantly watching these characters, they quickly become overly paranoid believing someone is out to get them. And, they're not entirely wrong. However, by the time the "bad guys" are revealed, the film's ending is basically wrapped up in a nice big pretty red bow that nearly everyone will see coming - thus taking the "thrilling" portion out of the thriller.

Eric Bana and Rebecca Hall are two rather well-known names, both having their own semi-popular roles over the short tenure of their careers. Sadly, neither one of these typically enjoyable actors fulfill their potential with their roles. Their chemistry is hardly interesting, stale - causing for a seriously dull relationship. These two should either love or hate each other, or at least love to hate each other, but neither really gives any indication where their heart really lies. They focus on exposing secret details that will have them in more hot water than they desire, knowing full well that they've both lied and essentially brought all of these issues upon themselves. It's a vicious web of boredom. And, despite the fact that the supporting cast is just as stale as the main cast, it was still nice to see Julia Stiles - even though it was for only a few brief, predicable scenes.

Overall, Closed Circuit attempts to be a terror-based mystery film with a general message that the good of the state is far more important than the good of the people. However, the plot lacks a big reveal, having spent it long before the film's climax. The film's initial plot looked promising, but was poorly executed, leaving little room for excitement. Stars Eric Bana and Rebecca Hall desperately try to hold your attention, only to fail miserably in the long run. If your heart is dead set on watching this film, give it a try - as long as you keep in mind that you're giving your time to an unsatisfactory endeavor that will, in the end, unquestionably have you uttering, "I totally saw all of that coming.".

GRADE: D+.