The Circle

When i was a teenager in the 90´s, the internet was becoming the most cool technology to talk about. I remember how curious i was, that i could actually surf online, read web pages, chat with people all over the world, and even order stuff online. Of course, all of this would not be perfect back then, so everything improved by the millenium. Internet was becoming much more important for everyone, especially through work. Since i grew up from the very early 80´s, when computers really took off to a massive level of technology, i have seen a lot happened. And i have to say, seeing what you can do now, in 2017, while surfing online, is really impressive. You can basically do everything from your computer, or mobile phone, anywhere you are in this world. But is there anything bad with improved technology ? Is there anything we should be worried about, if everything is becoming too personal online ? There are of course many things you could think about, and ask if some things are necessary to have online. Do people really need to know how much money you have made through work ? I personally don´t think so, that is your own personal information. I do have Facebook and Twitter, like most people have, and i update a lot of stuff there ( except some things i don´t need to tell the world ). I think there has to be some kind of limit, what you are giving away through information. One classic film, that already went out early in the 90´s, to warn about the internet, was the 1995 thriller film The Net with Sandra Bullock. It may not be as good today, as it was over 20 years ago, but the film clearly managed to get the message out, beware of the power of the internet. Sandra Bullock gave a solid performance, as a woman who gets her identity stolen online. A film still worth seeing. Plenty of films have been released about the internet, and there are plenty to choose between. One of my personal favourite films, is without a doubt director David Schwimmer´s film Trust. A very disturbing look, how easy it is for young girls, to be victims of pedophiles online. A must see, and worth buying on dvd. I was supposed to see the new film The Circle in cinemas in May here in Sweden, but that did not happen, so i got a chance to see this technology sci-fi thriller drama on blu ray instead. I am always curious to see a film, that takes on modern technology, and this seemed to be something interesting. Is the film The Circle a future classic, or is this a complete waste of your time ?

Mae Holland ( Emma Watson ) is thrilled to get the news from her friend Annie Allerton ( Karen Gillan ), that she have a new job at the company known as The Circle. Mae is really happy about this opportunity, and really want to make a good impression. The company have a very impressive facility, with very modern technology, and with very friendly workers. Everything seems to be going well, and Mae is working hard to make an impression. CEO for The Circle, Eamon Bailey ( Tom Hanks ), introduce SeeChange at a meeting, small cameras that will follow every step of The Circle workers, at work and outside work. Mae begin to become suspicious on The Circle, when one of the workers named Ty Lafitte ( John Boyega ) show her the secret passageway to the underground of The Circle. Is there a secret behind The Circle, that no one want the public to find out ?

I do think that there is an interesting story behind The Circle. What if the company you work for, knows almost everything you do, even in your own free time, without your permission ? This would of course not be acceptable for many people, and i like the idea behind this film. However, one of the big issues i have with The Circle, is that the acting is not very strong. You have actor Emma Watson here, who have done some good performances in the past. She is not all terrible here, but you don´t really connect with her character, as much as you would have wanted to. I would call her performance " flat ". Tom Hanks is here as well, and he might be the highlight of this film. But i will say this, he does not do a performance on his usual high level of acting. But he still manage to at least make his character feel, interesting in some way. Bill Paxton ( who we lost this year, R.I.P ) plays a character with MS ( multiple sclerosis ). I would have liked to know more on his character, but he is not in many scenes. When you have a story that is surrounded by how far technology can take over your personal life, you would hope that the story have something interesting to say. Unfortunately, it becomes clear that The Circle does not manage to lift this subject up, and this is where the film fails. Without an intelligent formed plot, you don´t really get much left. What saves this film from falling apart is the scenes, where we get to understand more about how controlled we can be, if we let other people control our lives. Because this is basically what Emma Watson´s character does, she let the company into her personal life, and cross the border between privacy and work. I do feel that The Circle could have worked, if the story was constructed correctly. Director James Ponsoldt have directed a number of films, where especially his films The Spectacular Now and The End Of The Tour have been praised by movie critics. I have not seen any of the films, but plan to do so. His latest film The Circle is not a film that make you interested in technology, you feel more sleepy. And this is such a shame, because underneath this story, there is a film that should have been made, in a different way. This film is way too predictable. A few scenes makes me curious, over the questions about how The Circle functions, but that´s about it. If you are a die hard Tom Hanks fan, you might want to see this film, just to see him do a different character. Other than that, i see no reason spending your time with The Circle.

Rating: DD