CLOSED CIRCUIT (2013 - MYSTERY/THRILLER) **1/2 out of *****
(Smile, bitches - you're on candid camera. Like, a thousand of them....)
CAST: Eric Bana, Rebecca Hall, Julia Stiles, Ciaran Hinds, Jim Broadbent, Riz Ahmed, Isaac Hempstead-Wright, Denis Moschitto, Kenneth Cranham.
DIRECTOR: John Crowley
WARNING: Some SPOILERS and some compelling reasons to stay indoors – straight ahead….
IT'S LIKE THIS: One lovely English morning in London, a bomb goes off in some central market area, killing a shitload of people - and it's captured all over the Closed Circuit (CC) TV cameras in the neighborhood. As you can imagine, this event is about as positive for the British capital as Tony Blair baring it all for a Playgirl Centerfold. Although, truthfully, the bombing is probably a little less horrifying than Mr. Blair showing his peeter for the world to see. I mean, he's cute and all - but he ain't no Russell Crowe, Chris Evans, or Andrew Garfield.
But I digress. Anyhow, the bombing is soon blamed on Pakistani immigrant Faroukh Erdogan (Denis Moschito). Faroukh is assigned two barristers (lawyers to us Yanks): (1) Martin Rose (Eric Bana), a smokin' hot buff dude who looks more like a GQ model than an attorney; and (2) Claudia Simmons-Howe (Rebecca Hall), a cute, elegant babe who looks more like a naughty-librarian-stripper than a lawyer, er, barrister, er, you know what I mean. Apparently, given the politically-sensitive nature of the case, there will be two different trials: one open to the public, over which Martin will preside; and a second one behind closed doors wherein classified material will be discussed, and Claudia will take the lead there. Oh, and just to make things even more tricky, Martin and Claudia used to be fuck buddies and this is why Martin's marriage broke up. My, oh, my...
It doesn't take long for Claudia and Martin to realize they have gotten the short end of the stick with their new work assignments. Actually, make that the short end of gavel. It seems that 10 out of 10 British folk want to see Faroukh drawned-and-quartered, and given that our hero and heroine are supposed to be getting him off (not that way, pervs), I don't exactly envy them. And by the way, what the fuck is up with those silly wigs that British barristers, er, lawyers have to wear? How does anyone keep a fucking straight face in the courts of England? Jiminy Christmas...
Anyhow, before long Claudia and Martin are starting to suspect that MI-5 and MI-6 (the Brit version of the FBI & CIA) are spying on them through the use of the CCTV cameras that are more prevalent in England than people who actually wear underwear. It seems that Faroukh might have some secrets which paint Her Majesty's national security agencies in a very, very bad light. In other words, some very powerful people have a vested interest in Faroukh being hanged before he can testify.
How will our Eye Candy lawyers get out of this one? More specifically, how will they adequately defend their client and keep themselves alive at the same time? What dirt does Faroukh have on MI-5 and MI-6 and how damaging is it? And how far will the government go to keep its skeletons in the closet? And what role does American journalist Joanna Reece (Julia Stiles) have in the mystery? Is she friend or foe? Will Claudia and Martin live to fuck another day?
Let's hope so - because these two are the hottest lawyers I have ever seen. Ssssssssssssssssmokin'.....
BUT, SERIOUSLY: Some movies have a great central premise and start out strong. Then, halfway through the story, the film starts to lose energy and it gradually becomes clear it will not live up to its potential. As it nears its climax, you still keep hoping it will pull some surprises out of its bag and justify your interest and faith. Ultimately, though, it plays it safe and therefore bland - ending up a very average experience. Our latest review is one such film.
The trailers and poster for CLOSED CIRCUIT make it sound like a "surveillance thriller" along the lines of SLIVER and ENEMY OF THE STATE - which revolved around innocent protagonists who were menaced by baddies with the ability to track their every move. This movie starts promisingly enough (more on that beginning below) and briskly sets up the story and characters. Unfortunately, after all the players are in place and the plot is set in motion, the story gradually flatlines, abandoning the "electronic cat-and-mouse" aspect until we are dealing with yet another tired conspiracy thriller.
I've been to London, England several times when I lived overseas, and I know that it (like many European cities) has an extensive video surveillance system throughout the metropolis. Most Britons are fine with this, accepting it as part of their daily lives and a small price they must pay for overall safety. Obviously, it can turn into a sinister instrument in the hands of the wrong people (or the right people with the wrong motives), and that is what CLOSED CIRCUIT's marketing campaign teases us with.
Unfortunately, though, this potentially interesting angle is not utilized enough to create (let alone sustain) suspense. The only truly effective sequence is the very first setpiece of the film: a kaleidoscope of CCTV monitors - dozens of them - showing the different views of the Central Market: people shopping, merchants unloading their wares, workers moving to and fro. And then, without warning, all the monitors show the bomb exploding from dozens of different angles. It's a chilling and masterful first scene - and it promises a clever, full-blooded thriller just waiting to unfold.
Unfortunately, that never happens. CLOSED CIRCUIT pretty much drops the "electronic surveillance" angle for standard thriller devices. There's a promising sequence late in the film, where it looks like director John Crowley looks like he will finally create a another worthwhile setpiece similar to the opening one that shows our heroes trying to outwit and outrun the city-wide cameras to safely reach the courthouse - and the assassins watching their movements. But Martin, Claudia, and Faroukh's son reach their sanctuary with absolutely no interference - they literally just walk up to the courthouse, looking barely concerned. We couldn't help but just shake our heads at this fumbled opportunity to create some stunning suspense.
If further hurts the film that the denouement is far too pat and easy. Previously, in our review for THE CONJURING, we discussed how thrillers, mysteries, and horror films should "start strong, and finish stronger." Like THE CONJURING, CLOSED CIRCUIT opens with a bang (literally, in this case) but then gradually loses energy and novelty as it plays out. THE CONJURING managed to rate above-average (***) due to some effective setpieces in the first half. Unfortunately, CLOSED CIRCUIT doesn't have any beyond that visceral "multi-view" sequence that starts the film. After that, all the opportunities to create true tension are mishandled.
The same thing happens with Julia Stiles' character of Joanna Reece, who is positioned as a mysterious figure with knowledge that can help Martin and Claudia. Unfortunately, Joanna is barely used at all, appearing only in three very brief scenes before being unceremoniously killed off (off-screen, too, I might add). Since the character amounts to nothing, it's puzzling why Stiles would waste her time on such a minor, thankless role. I have to wonder if there aren't any deleted scenes that beef up Joanna's involvement. In any case, it's another wasted chance.
Another reason CLOSED CIRCUIT never rises above being an average thriller are its lead characters. There is nothing at all compelling or distinctive about Martin Rose and Claudia Simmons-Howe, or the relationship between them. They seem like the lead couple of a dozen other political/courtroom thrillers - but somehow blander. Eric Bana and Rebecca Hall are a talented pair and do what's expected of them, but they are playing blank ciphers here - not fully-realized characters who drive the plot forward. Instead, the reverse happens: Martin and Claudia feel like lifeless pawns manipulated by the contrivances of the plot.
Ultimately, CLOSED CIRCUIT never lives up to its initial promise. Despite boasting a handsome production design with a somber feel (befitting the gray London atmosphere) and a brilliant opening sequence, this movie is average to the core. What a shame.
