Review of Compliance (2012) by Timothy S — 08 Feb 2014

Every once in a while, a news story comes along that is so incredulous that you'd never believe it if it wasn't so undeniably true, and "Compliance" is a compelling film based on one of those actual eventsDue to the reactions from those involved, the picture does deviate some from the actual occurrence, but this is still exceedingly difficult to watch despite the fact that it's nearly impossible to turn away.

It's also nearly impossible to wrap your head around how something like this could happen, especially as the story becomes increasingly unbelievable. The beauty of Craig Zobel's film is the straightforward manner in which the story is told, stripped bare much like the brave performance of its star Dreama Walker.

The film doesn't judge the bizarre actions of these characters, simply presents the facts and leaves the rest up for the viewer to decide. Alongside the powerhouse performance from Walker is the terrific work done by Ann Dowd as her supervisor. After thirty years in the business and never having carried a movie before, she's simply amazing. The film's one downfall is that it wraps things up too quickly and cleanly in the end. I wanted to know more about the fallout from the case, more of what happened to the people involved, and that's the only place where the movie lets you down. I was left to searching the internet for answers.

"Compliance" is a film that you won't have a lot of fun watching, but it is a bold, compelling one that is fearless in its convictions. As much as you may want to, you'll be powerless to turn away.