The Circle (2017)
An important story that just didn’t work.
Honestly, I only watched The Circle because I wanted to see Tom Hanks play a villain. I don’t know that I’ve ever seen that from him and the idea was exciting to me. He’s such a great actor, I had no doubts in my mind that he would be able to pull off a somewhat sinister, yet benevolent businessman. I was picturing Nick Offerman’s character in Devs, just a little less weird.
Despite the very talented cast (Emma Watson, Tom Hanks, Karen Gillan, John Boyega, and more), this movie was a real let down. The Circle is one of those films that I think could be really powerful if it was reworked. In my opinion, if the dialogue and the overall plot structure were rewritten, this could be an incredible and timely film. We probably need more films that focus on the dangers of technology as more and more of our lives are focused or reliant upon these various devices and platforms.
Much of the film felt like they were just going through the motions. How many times have we seen this particular plot structure? A naive and isolated woman gets an opportunity to change things for her and her family that is facing some trial. She acclimates to this new world over time and eventually buys into the hype, distancing herself from her old life. She meets a doubter (or dissenter) who takes her into their confidence, yet she continues to forge…
