sol- Appointed to defend a foreigner accused of planning an elaborate terrorist attack, two British lawyers become increasingly convinced that a government conspiracy is afoot and that their client is merely a scapegoat. Promising a premise as this might be, things are far more complex and convoluted here - something that renders 'Closed Circuit' more thought-provoking than the average conspiracy thriller but also far less intense and involving. With the past romantic history of the two lawyers, which they have to keep secret while working on the case together (why not admit it straight up?) without communicating with one another since part of the trial is being heard in closed court where only one of them is present, the film gets bogged down in so much exposition that there rarely is a chance for any sense of paranoia to develop. Considering the economical runtime (just over 90 minutes), it also often feels like too much time is dedicated to the drama between the lawyers as opposed to the drama that they are meant to be investigating... though the film actually overstays its welcome with an extraneous final scene. Comedy veteran actor Jim Broadbent is also a tad miscast in a role that a more sinister dramatic actor would usually play. Eric Bana and Rebecca Hall are at least solid in the main roles and they manage to carry the film through its less exciting patches. The film also deserves some marks for effectively including CCTV footage at several key points, if not quite as frequently as one might expect based on the very promising promotional posters.

primaveranz This movie starts out with some promise, but rapidly deteriorates into a very formulaic and lazily-written attempt to ride the bandwagon of the war on terrorism and conspiracy theories. MI5 freely murders people left right and centre and in plain view to avoid embarrassment. You can spot the hidden baddies a mile off and Jim Broadbent is terribly miscast as the sinister Attorney General. The MI5 boss should never play Poker as her face contorts and she stutters whenever she is asked an awkward question. MI5 sends a single ham-fisted killer to take out an unarmed woman and fails. The security services rely on a teenage boy with a USB stick who apparently has more computer skills than all their specialists. There is zero chemistry between Bana and Hall - which probably explains why they don't end up in bed together (that fact is actually one of the strong points of the storyline). This is a shorthand, rushed and clumsy story,and the (usually strong) cast struggle to make anything of it. Such a waste of time and I'll bet the writer knew it when he handed it in.

eddie_baggins With the waft of a BBC movie and with some pretty shoddy production values, Boy A (a film you have to track down that features an early stunning turn from Spider-Man himself Andrew Garfield) director John Crowley's 2013 thriller Closed Circuit starts off in a very mundane way and while not translating into anything more than a well-paced if highly unbelievable thriller it marks itself off as an enjoyable way to pass 90 minutes of your life with a story that will grow on you as the red herrings and mysteries pile up.Closed Circuit is a certainly a strange name for a movie that really has nothing to do with surveillance, instead Crowley's film focuses on the tensions and discoveries made between Eric Bana's gruff (and very un-British sounding) arrogant lawyer Martin Rose and one time lover Claudia Simmons-Howe played by the always threatening to break out of b grade status Rebecca Hall. These people are not overly likable and the film lacks a figure that can up the feel of the piece as a whole even though it's nice to see fine character actors Ciaran Hinds, Jim Broadbent and a man possibly bound for future stardom in the form of the always great Riz Ahmed get some nice supporting roles. With a lack of real interest for the films body of people it is up to the plot boiler story to carry it through.As previously mentioned Closed Circuit's story is not really too concerned with being overly believable, in one particular instance it is insinuated that a large government agency such as Mi5 can't hack computers but by and by the story succeeds at grabbing your attention and making you keen enough to see how it all transpires. At the heart of the story is a very intriguing and relatively possible scenario of agency meddling gone wrong and the idea of terrorist attacks on a city like London remain frighteningly possible which gives the film a feeling of current time relevance.Lacking an acting spark that would have really made Closed Circuit more the sum of its parts, in saying that the film does still remain to be a solid and at times surprising thriller. Ending off proceedings in a manner that shows us just what could have been with this story, Closed Circuit is forgettable yet not regrettable and for topical thrillers that is a refreshing twist.3 Bran Stark's out of 5 For more movie reviews and opinions check out -www.jordanandeddie.wordpress.com

blanche-2 I have a friend who says that subject line to his history students, and he also says it when he's called up for jury duty. The power of the state is awesome. Because it is, it should be careful how that power is used.Well, ha-ha, we all know that doesn't happen, and that's what Closed Circuit is about. The beginning of the movie shows a bomb going off in a public place in London, killing 121 people. The bomber, Farroukh Erdogan (Denis Moschitto) is arrested.The case is assigned to two lawyers, Martin Rose and Claudia Simmons-Howe (Eric Bana and Rebecca Hall). The two have a connection: they are ex-lovers, and Martin's affair with her broke up his marriage.Claudia is to represent the interests of Erdogan in a private hearing, which in itself is controversial. She and Martin are not to have any contact with one another once the she is shown confidential information. This is so the public trial will not be compromised.Later, Martin attends a party and meets a New York Times reporter. She tells him something that makes him realize that his every move is being watched. Martin and Claudia get into the case and find out that the defendant is not who he appears to be. And their lives are in jeopardy.Suspenseful and thought-provoking, this is a well-acted, excellent drama about the lengths government will go to to protect itself -- forget about the citizens. I think people realize that today there is no such thing as privacy, and I'm sure most people realize the government is corrupt. But how corrupt? That's something, from the low rating on this board, that most people don't understand.The ending of this film may be a little pat, but don't let it keep you from seeing this film.