See it at the Movies

CLOSED CIRCUIT

Joyce and Don Fowler
Posted 9/4/13

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(Muddled, boring British terrorist tale)

The folks who brought us “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” are back with an equally muddled, boring movie that lacks any tension and is sure to …

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See it at the Movies

CLOSED CIRCUIT

Posted

* *

(Muddled, boring British terrorist tale)

The folks who brought us “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” are back with an equally muddled, boring movie that lacks any tension and is sure to confuse you.

I watched the movie on Senior Day and stood around afterwards listening to comments and questions. No one could figure out quite what was going on, further confused by split screens and English accents.

The movie opens with a terrorist bomb exploding in a London marketplace, killing 120 people. We are introduced to Martin (Eric Bana), an English barrister charged with defending an accused suspect, and Claudia (Rebecca Hall), the “special advocate.” As we try to sort out the confusing British legal system, we learn that Martin and Claudia have a romantic past.

For whatever reason, the lawyer and the advocate cannot communicate with each other and certain evidence must be kept from them. To add to the difficulties in trying the case, there appears to be a cover-up at high places.

There are cameras everywhere, and Big Brother seems to know what everyone is doing. Characters move in and out of the story and suddenly disappear.

Julia Stiles plays a reporter and Jim Broadbent an attorney general. Their motives are never clear, but don’t worry, as quickly as they appear, they disappear. The long hours of investigating backgrounds and evidence and the courtroom scenes are extremely boring and confusing.

Good luck getting to the heart of this one!

Rated R for profanity and some brief violence. Rated B and C for boring and confusing.

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