Privacy is a modern invention.
That’s actually something I first heard in HOUSE, in one of the latter seasons, and for some reason, it just stuck with me. I mean, it’s true isn’t it, privacy IS a fairly modern invention; years ago when towns were smaller and cities were broken up into close-knit communities everyone knew everyone else’s business, and anyone who dared try to resist becoming a cog in the gossip wheel was treated with mistrust, and even fear. Then when communities became a rarity, privacy came into being, at least for a brief period. However by the mid-to-late nought-ies, social networking and texting had taken the place of gossip – and general nosing – giving way to a new level of fear and mistrust amongst everyone.
This a pretty bleak way to start a review, right? Right. But you see, this is basically the issue that the film addresses. The story is that a compulsively private employee of a corporation is followed and treated with suspicion, basically because he tries to keep his personal and professional life separate. Harsh!
Well… okay that’s not all, the company head’s (who we never have need to meet) have reason to be suspicious, apparently parts of the multi-million dollar project (again unnamed) that they’re working on are being leaked to competitors and David is ‘the new boy’ of the company. The new boy moreover, who has access to the information being leaked, and who is suspiciously private about his past (and present) personal life. It is eventually revealed, however, that things in David’s life may not all be as they seem – or at least are assumed to be by one of the bigger bosses Glenda Grey and (it’s never actually explained what his job is but he reminds me of a private investigator) Sloan.
I liked this film… but, as hinted above, I found it a bit bleak, story-wise: although, saying that I can’t say I disagree with the underlying message, which I take to be along the lines of, ‘leave everyone alone and mind your own business’.
The direction was really good though it’s one of those films I like where the shots are so well framed that they tell the story so well that dialogue is barely needed, and what little there is acts as a kind of supplement. Not that that’s a reflection on the actors, who were brilliant as well! In fact, the only thing I’d say is that I really don’t like it when camera’s are handheld – because they shake. There were a couple of times in the film where I noticed that happening, and it just draws my attention away from the actual film, but that’s just me and it’s me being pedantic, so…
Great film, great thriller, great suspense!
