Closed Circuit Review

Rated R (Language and Brief Violence)

Running Time: 1 Hour & 36 Minutes

Cast-

Eric Bana-Martin Rose

Rebecca Hall-Claudia Simmons-Howe

Ciarán Hinds-Devlin

Riz Ahmed-Nazrul Sharma

Anne-Marie Duff-Melissa

Denis Moschitto-Farroukh Erdogan

Julia Stiles-Joanna Reece

Jim Broadbent-Attorney General

Hasancan Cifci-Emir Erdogan

Isaac Hempstead Wright-Tom Rose

James Lowe-Simon Fellowes

Directed by John Crowley

Eric Bana and Rebecca Hall star in the legal thriller "Closed Circuit" from director John Crowley.

Note: Screened on Tuesday, August 27, 2013 at AMC Loews 19th Street East 6.

The worst time to release a new film has always been Labor Day weekend. After all, it's where movies with almost no box office prospects go to die but Focus Features, the art house division of Universal, has co-opted the traditionally under-attended weekend as their own in recent years by releasing middlebrow films marketed toward older audiences. The latest is "Closed Circuit" from Irish director John Crowley, who made his feature debut in 2003 with the black comedy "Intermission." His career since then has mainly focused on theater work but he did helm two additional films, 2008's critically-acclaimed "Boy A" (which starred Andrew Garfield) and the 2009 drama "Is Anybody There?." Although "Closed Circuit" was written and shot well before system administrator Edward Snowden decided to leak information regarding the NSA's mass surveillance programs to the public, the film's timely release lends the picture a topical weightiness that goes beyond its conventional, conspiracy-laden plot. Well-acted and slickly directed with cool efficiency by Crowley, "Closed Circuit" succeeds as a slow-burn legal drama but suffers from signs of editorial/studio interference as its story gives way to tired thriller tropes.

When London's bustling Borough Market becomes the site of a sudden terrorist bombing that leaves 120 people dead and countless others wounded, the country's populace calls for swift justice. An anonymous tip leads to the arrest of Turkish expatriate Farroukh Erdogan (Denis Moschitto), a heroin addict with secrets of his own but he refuses to divulge any to the authorities. Dubbed by the media as the 'Trial of the Century,' the Attorney General (Jim Broadbent) reveals during a radio interview that the proceedings will require classified documents to be presented. Due to the sensitive nature of these materials, showing it to the public could damage national security and as such, part of Erdogan's trial will be held behind closed doors. When the attorney assigned to defend Erdogan in open court dies from an apparent suicide, Martin Rose (Eric Bana) is chosen to replace him. Handling the classified documents is Special Advocate Claudia Simmons-Howe (Rebecca Hall), who just so happens to be an ex-lover of Martin's. Ordered to remain separate while the evidence is being gathered, the two intrepid lawyers soon find themselves in grave danger as they uncover a government conspiracy involving MI5.

Contrary to its title, "Closed Circuit" is not an examination of our current surveillance culture and the increasingly draconian security measures that governments enact in the name of 'safety.' Instead, the various video feeds that periodically pop up throughout the film are nothing more than a visual gimmick utilized by Crowley to create an ever-present sense of paranoia. Opening with surveillance footage of London's crowded Borough Market, "Closed Circuit" immediately clues you in that something terrible is about to happen and sure enough, a white van slowly comes into view before suddenly exploding. It's a chillingly effective way to start a film and stands as a stark reminder of the dangerous times we now live in. A nation's grief soon turns into anger, with the authorities quickly capturing a suspect named Farroukh Erdogan thanks to a surprisingly helpful anonymous tip. The speed at which all this occurs is suspicious, a sign that someone wants to sweep the whole ordeal under the rug as fast as possible. Martin Rose enters the picture when Erdogan's previous defender dies from a 'suicide' and he throws himself into the investigation with a steely resolve. This procedural approach fits the film like a glove, with the lawyer following up on every clue while becoming increasingly aware that unknown forces are shadowing his every move. It's a little too convenient when the cab you hail happens to be same one from the night before. Complicating matters is Claudia Simmons-Howe, Erdogan's Special Advocate who represents the accused behind closed doors due to the sensitive nature of the evidence being presented. Coincidentally (or not), she happens to be an ex-lover of Martin's. Similarly, her suspicions are aroused when the books on her apartment's shelves seemingly find themselves rearranged. In addition, her handler, Nazrul Sharma (Riz Ahmed), displays an unusual and creepily flirty interest in her. Before you can even scream 'government conspiracy,' the two lawyers discover a cover-up that, of course, goes all the way to the top.

Sure, the script from Steven Knight isn't all that original but it remains riveting even when it takes a few too many leaps of faith. Martin and Claudia's romantic past feels largely tacked on as a way to force them together as much as possible but where "Closed Circuit" stumbles is in its second half as more and more is revealed about the case. Crowley, or more likely the studio, doesn't feel too confident about the audience's ability to figure things out by themselves, with the twists being telegraphed without an ounce of subtlety. To make sure that we know someone is lying, the camera zooms in close to show the person's mouth visibly twitching. Worse, the third act abruptly transforms the picture into a clumsy, formulaic thriller, with one character turned into an awkward MacGuffin while our two ex-lovers are forced to go on the run in order to protect him. The ending also takes the film's brevity to the extreme, with the whole outcome to the conspiracy hastily explained away via voiceover. "Closed Circuit" raises some interesting questions about the moral grey area the world now inhabits but doesn't do anything worthwhile with them. It all bears the mark of a film whose controversial themes are downplayed in favor of appealing to a mass audience who has no interest in such matters.

There's enough British talent here to hold most viewers' attention, with Eric Bana delivering a solemn performance as lawyer Martin Rose. The same goes for Rebecca Hall, who was criminally underutilized in May's "Iron Man 3." Her assertive turn as Claudia Simmons-Howe gives way to a couple of fun scenes where she coldly brushes off the advances of Riz Ahmed's Nazrul Sharma with a few perfectly timed barbs. Rounding out the cast is the ever-dependable Ciarán Hinds as Martin's friend and confidante Devlin, Jim Broadbent as the Attorney General who pops in from time to time to make a couple of veiled threats, and Anne-Marie Duff as a low-level government drone who is predictably more than she initially appears to be. Julia Stiles makes a brief appearance as a New York Times reporter as well but her role is so small that it bears almost no impact to the overarching story.

"Closed Circuit" was released on August 28, 2013 to largely mixed reviews with 44% on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics praised the acting and direction but found that it 'never quite works up a full head of steam, with a plot that's alternately predictable and full of holes.' While Focus Features has typically found success by scheduling adult genre fare on the last weekend of summer, it looks like Crowley's film is headed for a disappointing debut with only $3 million, maybe even less. People just didn't seem to be interested as evidenced by the sparsely attended advance screening. "Closed Circuit" marks a welcome respite from the big-budgeted blockbusters that have dominated theaters for the past four months but the film is just too at odds with itself and fails to offer up any meaningful insight regarding our society's loss of privacy in the name of safety and security.

Final Rating: 2.5 out of 5

"There are powers at play that neither you nor I may even hope to control."