MoViews: The Circle
BAGEO Rating: G(ood)
Year
|
2017
|
Rating
|
PG-13
|
Genre
|
Drama
|
Language
|
English
|
Runtime
|
1hr 49m
|
Story
|
Based on book 'The
Circle' by Dave Eggers
|
Screenplay/Screen
Writer
|
James Ponsoldt
|
Cinematography
|
Matthew Libatique
|
Key
Actors
|
Tom Hanks, Emma
Watson
|
Direction
|
James Ponsoldt
|
Producers
|
Gary Goetzman,
Anthony Begman, James Ponsoldt
|
Summary: An interesting story on the pros and cons of
non-privacy in today's social media led world, based on the book of the same
name by Dave Eggers. The protagonist,
acted wonderfully well by Emma Watson as May Holland gets involved in a
commercial project from her company 'The Circle'. The goal is to be transparent all her time
to the rest of the social world. Her organization brings this as a commercial
product with their small wireless cameras that can be placed everywhere and
communicated through the satellite. May
takes it as a challenge, but soon realizes the nuisance and dangers it brings
when her own family and her close office friend moves away from her circle. To
make matters worse, her dear friend dies
in an accident when the cameras keep following him after May initiated a search
for him with her new program . However
after a break she decides to use the
transparency factor in a better way for the society, when she turns the
tables around and starts focusing it onto the company operations and its CEO
(Tom Hanks) and COO (Patton Oswalt) by publicly publishing their emails. The movie directors stops there and leaves
the question of 'what next?' to the imagination of the viewers. I think there are many questions left
unanswered and to think through at the end of this movie.
Interesting story,
but screen play is confusing with rapid change in scenes. Also, I feel there is no continuity on
development of the key role (of Emma Watson), how she was suddenly pushed to
limelight etc. They show how the
company got to know the disease of May's dad (MS) and one would think they help
in finding a curable solution to it, but it does not happen that way. Don't know how the book with the same name by
Dave Eggers fared in the market.
Camera focus and
lighting is all perfect and normal. Absolutely no violence, fights, vulgar
scenes or wordings, so wonder why it is PG-13. It could be a G rating.
Other interesting points: Got to know that
the location for the movie is not headquarters of Google or Apple in CA as shown, but a
combination of many locations and even some stage set up!. It looks like an exact high end tech company. Excellent work from Matthew Libatique who is
the Cinematographer.
Overall: Very relevant story and
messages for today's social networked world, but overall I think is just an average movie to watch and not a must
watch movie. Could have added some more
depth to the storyline with a proper ending.
BAGEO Rating: G(ood)
