Cypher
Jeremy Northam plays Morgan Sullivan, a newly
recruited spy for a shadowy company called Digicorp.
When he meets sultry femme fatale Rita (Lucy Liu) he discovers all is not what it seems. This futuristic sci-fi thriller from Vincenzo Natali, director of Cube, is actually a very low-key affair. You won't find any huge gun fights or car chases here, instead what you will find is an interesting story and some great performances. The slow paced and subdued nature of the film will put many off, but this style helps build a feeling of claustraphobia which is integral to the story. There are plot twists aplenty, though none are quite as shocking as they should be. There is still a great sense of mystery surrounding the plot and in the end many things are left unexplained but the key themes of the film are carried throughout and the biggest questions are obviously going to be answered. One of the best aspects of this film is Jeremy Northam, he does an excellent job in the lead role and brings some much needed humour to a very bleak setting. Overall this is a very minimalist approach, which is to be expected from a low budget movie like this, but it is still very stylish, Northam and Liu are both fantastic, the cinematography is beautiful and the story is definately intriguing. The truth is, though, that many just won't appreciate this film, there isn't much wrong with it but it could have delivered a whole lot more, all the key ingredients are here, but somehow it still manages to disappoint, hopefully not too much.
Rating- 6/10 |
