Review of Cypher (2002) by Arun S — 10 Dec 2011

I might have loved "Cypher" much more if it did not turn out to be a ninety-minute commercial for tobacco, alcohol and the high life (including golf and yachting), the main message of which is that vices can be "who you are", the definition of your identity, and that the very meaning of boredom is combining a corporate job with marital, surburban life.

Another annoyance in the film is its rather unrealistic (almost surrealistic) depiction of technology. Given the trend towards miniaturisation, are we ever going to need Krell-sized "vaults" to store information? And what is the point of building an elevator that rises one floor above ground and then having stairs automatically unfold to get you to ground level? (Just because it looks cooler that way?).

Storywise, "Cypher" is a bit like "North by Northwest", rewritten by John le Carre and Philip K. Dick. It is a real visual delight, going for an almost black and white colour scheme and high tech interiors to reinforce the Kafkaesque, Orwellian feel of its universe.

The film starts as a rather oppressive, paranoid, dystopian nightmare, but evolves into much more escapist, James Bondian fun, complete with Chinese femme fatale and high tech gadgetry, with a touch of old-fashioned romantic values that feels like a breath of fresh air in a completely digitised, manipulative and inhumane world.