Closed Circuit

Closed Circuit, the latest film by director John Crowley was a wonderful film. It was a well written, well directed, and well acted political thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat throughout. It gave you the sense that no one was safe and the second you stepped outside your door, eyes were upon you. Big brother was definitely watching and because of that, I give Closed Circuit three buckets of Killer Korn.











I had no idea how good this movie was going to be. Truth be told, I'm not the biggest Eric Bana fan. Mainly because he reminds me of Clive Owen which basically means he acts the same in every movie, no matter what the role or character calls for. Eric is not that bad but there are times when he's close. This time around Eric plays Martin Rose, a defense attorney. he is representing the supposed mastermind behind a terrorist bombing in London. He get's handed the case after attending the funeral of the original defense attorney who committed "suicide".

The public advocate for the terrorist is the determined Claudia Simmons-Howe, played by the lovely Rebecca Hall. The chemistry Eric and Rebecca have feels genuine which is all you can hope for as a director I would imagine. The Borough Street bombing killed 121 people and the people want someone to pay so the pressure is on. The only problem though is the more the defense team dug into the truth, the more things didn't make sense, the more that happened the more questions they asked. Asking questions can apparently get you killed in London. Julia Stiles who is int this movie for all of five minutes worth of screen time plays NY Times England correspondent reporter Joanna Reece. While her part was small, it was very integral.

Closed Circuit looked good, and by good I meant the over cast clouds made the perfect backdrop against the glass, steel, and modern look of the film. Cinematographer Adriano Goldman does an impressive job with capturing both the old and the modern sides of London. The score by Joby Talbot is moody, dark, and tense which makes it perfect for this film. I recommend Closed Circuit because it's a smart movie while being entertaining. Since there aren't very many of those around these days you should see it while you can, and I'll see you at the theater.