Directed by D. J. Caruso
Screenplay by John Glenn, Travis Wright, Hillary Seitz, Dan McDermott
Story by Dan McDermott
Starring Shia Labeouf, Michelle Monaghan, Rosario Dawson, Michael Chiklis, Anthony Mackie, Ethan Embry, Billy Bob Thornton, Anthony Azizi
The Future is a terror storm replete with constant monitoring and a computer network that knows where you are at all times. You cannot escape, you have no way out and once they decide you are fit for their most exclusive job they have you dead in their sights. In this film, the beast is named ARIA—a cute name for such a deranged harlot with the kind of fearsome tendencies that keep big-billed congressman groveling on their knees for the sweet succor of delicate abuse. She is all knowing, all powerful—the only kind of god we need in the 21st century—and capable of tracking anyone at any time and assembling a grab bag of intimate secrets and casual asides that get hidden in the refuse of the daily grind. She contacts a network of strangers who work together in order to carry out a diabolical plot destined to obliterate the political landscape and erect from the ashes something entirely new.
Jerry Shaw (Labeouf) is a shiftless sort of person who has no direction and seemingly no real and lasting ambition. He works a dead end job and life is relatively uneventful until that fateful day when he comes home to discover a mass collection of weapons, secret government plans and other doo-hickeys that play him out to be a major player in the lexicon of terror. ARIA calls and her voice is so commanding and sexy because she sounds like she could get you all riled up while buildings collapsed all around you. She informs him that the FBI will be at his place in roughly thirty seconds. He doesn’t act and is arrested and questioned by an agent named Thomas Morgan (Thornton) who is convinced that he is a serious threat to the security of the United States. Then ARIA busts him out and the chase is on. Jerry meets a woman named Rachel Holloman (Monaghan) and the two of them realized they are being haunted by the same diabolical force.
The action sequences in this film are stellar throughout. They look fantastic and they truly propel the viewer into a ream of twisting, turning danger that never lets up. There is quite a bit of death in this picture including the twin brother of Jerry who died mysteriously in a smash up after working in an exceedingly secret mission that ultimately compromises him.
The idea that it might be possible to capture every single moment of everyone’s life forever is a troubling one most certainly and it’s intriguing to imagine just how far one could take the Patriot Act and its bastard offspring. Is this remotely possible and if not then why is it that films are able to create a landscape where this sort of thing is played out in a most decisive fashion? When will cinema become the harbinger of real, measured actions that scare the bejeebus out of everyone and truly invade the privacy of every single citizen presently residing in the relatively safe confines of the United States and beyond? It’s certainly time for this technology to be transformed from the hypothetical to the actual. Sure, it’s all smoke and mirrors and none of it actually works but if it could be altered slightly and all the kinks worked out then perhaps sheer tyranny might grab each of us by the throat and threaten to beat us into submission if we don’t comply.
This is a film about the loss of choice. Jerry and Rachel are forced into specific actions and if they fail to comply there are dire consequences including probable death. They no longer are capable of thinking for themselves as every movement is dictated by the voice that commands them to complete a specific course that they cannot anticipate. They are slaves to a terrible idea that has originated out of the minds and sinews of well-meaning men and women whose sole purpose is to protect the interests of America.
America’s solvent future is toyed with throughout this film. The military is a fanatically driven machine that serves to maintain order at all costs often regardless of the consequences of swift, decisive action against whomever is perceived to be an enemy. A mishap early in the film triggers ARIA and facilitates her plan to cause a chaos never before experienced on U.S. shores with perhaps the exception of 9/11. The sheer scope of the endeavor is impressive and the measures undertaken to put the plan into action is ingenious and brilliantly orchestrated. There is a sadness to this film that comes through when Jerry is led to witness scenes of his childhood with his brother which lead to memories that haunt him as he stands before the multiple screens playing out his and Rachel’s life before them including private conversations and intimate moments with friends and family. It is the ultimate orgy of too much information and perhaps not to far from what is actually taking place if one desires to succumb to the tendency to become paranoid about the possibilities inherent in such technology.
There are many questions put forth in this film. Are we truly safe from the invasive directives of our government and military machinery? How far have they actually gone in the way of keeping tabs on regular folks? What is the ultimate end of the glut of cameras that have kept us in check and given us carte blanche to make records of ourselves? The cultural climate is such that it seems that the only way to prove that something actually happened is to document it. All these sounds and images have perhaps enslaved us to a reality that has tricked us into compliance with some devious master plan to which we are programmed to pay absolute allegiance. This film is a scare fest about how far these ideas can be taken and it’s a stark reminder of what happens when we blindly turn our very lives over to the technology that we ourselves have created to better amuse ourselves.
The real heart of this film is Air Force Special Officer Zoe Perez (Dawson). She is the moral compass that wakes up to the cold reality that is unfolding before her. She is determined and sharp-eyed and gradually begins to put the pieces together. She is sucked in further into the maelstrom by protocol and is the one who discovers a key piece of evidence which blows the whole conspiracy wide open. She offers insight into the strange and dark world that threatens to cause unprecedented mayhem. Secretary of Defense George Callister (Chiklis) also provides a complex witness to the events as they unfold. He is a man of integrity who, like everyone else, becomes bombarded with the system as it jumps the rails and begins to take control of everything from traffic lights to cranes as well as every electronic device known to man.
The performances in this film are uniformly excellent. Billy Bob Thornton has a commanding presence and is instantly believable. His character is a bit rough around the edges but it’s clear that he is the kind of agent who is never caught unawares. He’s also solid, upstanding, and dutiful to the cause of justice. Rosario Dawson gives a mesmeric, intoxicating performance that keeps the film grounded throughout. Dawson is impeccable in this role and her presence is clearly defined. Shia Labeouf puts together one of his most convincing portrayals in this film. He shows a range of emotions that are the only recourse against the tyranny which he is facing. He imbues his character with a consistent mien that works well in the overall context of the film. Michael Chiklis gives a commanding performance as the embattled Secretary of Defense. He is coarse and somewhat distant throughout the film which lends him an aura of invulnerability. Michelle Monaghan provides her character with a winsome charm as she struggles to follow along to ensure that her son is kept alive. Monaghan’s character is strong, vital, and fully capable of handling herself in any situation.
Overall, this film has a lot of depth and allows the viewer to come away with fewer answers than questions. It’s driven by its special effects and action sequences and these are certainly above par. It’s a thrilling ride from start to finish and every performance is spot on creating an environment that nicely exploits the nuances of the script. Often times four script writers tend to create a muddled mess but here the ploy works quite well as the energy and pacing of the film is maintained throughout. Ultimately, it’s the type of movie that shakes you a bit and I have to admit to being a bit terrified at the suggestions put forth in this film. The troubling thing is that it only seems like the future but you can bet that many of these techniques are already in place and the sad thing is that many of us are helping usher in such a system by perpetually making sure we record everything there is possible to record.
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