Surveillance society (Enemy Of The State (DVD))

Member Name: shaneo632

Product:	Enemy Of The State (DVD)
Date:	30/06/09 (6 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Prescient examination of surveillance society

Disadvantages: VERY liberal slant

Along with Peter Weir's superb film The Truman Show, 1998's Enemy of the State is a superb and relevant examination of a panoptic surveillance model that has become a very real fear for many, that the government, with the likes of satelite surveillance and the Patriot Act in America, have every action and transaction they partake in documented and recorded.

Although director Tony Scott is often criticised for his incredibly lavish, hyperkinetic visual style and direction, it is perhaps all too appropriate that he directs a film about the dangers of advanced technology. His over the top direction, with its insistence on quick fire editing, is something of a facsimile of the film's very ideas, and the perfect way to mediate the film's intelligent ideas to a mainstream moviegoing public.

After witnessing an old college friend killed whilst pursued by government officials, Robert Clayton Dean (Will Smith) is himself pursued by government G-Men, who believe that he retains sensitive information passed to him by his departed friend. To this effect, the film demonstrates how the government can make your life a living Hell if you cross them, cancelling your cards, bugging your home, tapping your calls, and examining your telephone transactions. Meanwhile, NSA head Thomas Reynolds (Jon Voight) is the sleazy man tasked with running the operations to take Dean down, commanding a team of grunts, including an appearance by character actor Barry Pepper, and a collective of geeks, with appearances from Seth Green, Jack Black and Jamie Kennedy.

It is fair to say that the film runs along an incredibly liberal tangent, which may dissuade some from watching it. However, it does state the conservative intentions to an extent, and it ultimately is a top-notch political thriller that, whilst in no way subtle, delivers exhilerating set pieces and plenty of humour, thanks to Tony Scott's kinetic direction and solid performances from Will Smith, Gene Hackman, and John Voight.

Summary: A kinetic, well acted thriller