Review of Enemy of the State (1998) by Paul R — 08 Apr 2013

Will Smith is Robert Dean, a hotshot lawyer on top of his game with a beautiful house and family. John Voight is Thomas Reynolds, the head of an NSA government surveillance initiative that he is trying to push through congress.

When his pitch falls on deaf ears, Reynolds goes to the extreme of having the congressman killed. The murder is caught on tape by a bird watcher and he goes on the run from the NSA. During the chase he encounters Dean and unbeknownst to him, the tape is planted in Dean's shopping bags.

The NSA uses every tool at their disposal to retrieve the tape from Dean. As his life begins to fall apart, his cards are cancelled and he is slandered in the press, he meets a man named "Brill" who tells him he has something the Government want.

Here they formulate a plan to get Dean's life back and uncover the truth. This is an excellent thriller, full of action and stellar performances from Voight, Hackman and Smith. Released in 1998 some of the technical aspects and "secret agent" style shenanigans seem a little outdated but this does not stop this from being a thoroughly enjoyable film.

It's a relentless chase and suspense thriller with a great script and direction. You can't help but be drawn into the twists and turns and it also poses some great questions about our privacy and how much the government should be allowed to pry into our seemingly private lives.