The Circle (2017, PG-13)

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)