By guest columnist Film_Tacs.
I was under the assumption that The Circle was a thriller – as advertised – but I was wrong. So if you go into the theaters expecting such, you will be disappointed, but for more than one reason.
Overview
The Circle is directed by James Ponsoldt and stars Emma Watson as Mae Holland, a girl working within a cult-like company monitoring her every move.
Thoughts
The Circle focuses on the extreme influences technology has – or will have – on our daily lives, which is interesting… If executed correctly.
The majority of the film focuses on Mae and how the Circle’s Technology impacts her life. While that may be interesting, the film plays out like a forced sequence of events that fails in providing any true narrative due to the lack of conflict and character development. As a result, there are significant plot holes that arise.
Although the film contains an all-star cast – Bill Paxton, Tom Hanks, John Boyega –it was ultimately a disappointment as they were given such limited -to insignificant- roles. There was never any depth to these characters and what they provide to the story, ultimately due to the poor writing and direction this film has.
This lack of direction is seen significantly with Emma Watson’s Mae Holland. Mae is the protagonist of the story, yet she –along with many others – are blinded from moralities and reasonings a normal human should have. The moment you think she is going in the right direction she takes an intentional turn towards the opposite, further tainting the main narrative and character direction.
Conclusion
Aside from the the little standouts -Tom Hanks and Bill Paxton- The Circle is a mess. From the horrible narrative -and character direction- to the not-so decent cinematography and editing, this film is very forgettable and not worth anyone’s time or money. I am sure the novel was compelling, but this film was not, especially with the potential it could have had.
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Enjoyment of the Film
-2 out of 5-
Review of the film
-2 out of 5-
Film_Tacs is reviewing film and TV on instagram, find more reviews right here.