Tackling the “Me-centric” revelatory culture of Google, Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, etc., James Ponsoldt's timely thriller delves into the ubiquitous perils of contemporary technology. When Mae Holland (Emma Watson) goes to work for “The Circle,” a massively powerful social media company in the San Francisco Bay Area, she is thrilled. Beginning as a “guppy,” Mae is assigned to a customer service desk, where she's expected not only to excel but also to participate in off-hours and weekend events with co-workers. Run by a management team consisting of charismatic visionary Eamon Bailey (Tom Hanks) and businessman Tom Stenton (Patton Oswalt), the company is touting a new social interface app, TruYou—a single-identity password solution which eliminates anonymity—along with SeeChange, a tiny, inconspicuous webcam that can be attached to any surface for constant surveillance. “Knowing is good, but knowing everything is better,” claims evangelistic Bailey. Grateful that she can extend her insurance coverage to include her frail, multiple sclerosis-afflicted father (the late Bill Paxton) and that the company's omnipresent monitors saved her from drowning when she foolishly went kayaking alone at night, guileless Mae offers to relinquish all personal privacy and go “fully transparent,” so that everything she does can be seen by Circle members. Obviously, this leads to embarrassment, but also tragedy and the alienation of Mae's best friend/mentor (Karen Gillan). Dave Eggers adapts his own 2013 bestselling novel, but unlike the book, Ponsoldt's film feels meandering and melodramatic as it offers up its cautionary tale. Optional. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include the behind-the-scenes featurettes “No More Secrets” (31 min.), “A True Original: Remembering Bill Paxton” (14 min.), and “The Future Won't Wait: Design and Technology” (11 min.). Exclusive to the Blu-ray release are bonus DVD and UltraViolet copies of the film. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a disappointing adaptation.] (S. Granger)
The Circle
Lionsgate, 110 min., PG-13, DVD: $29.95, Blu-ray/DVD Combo: $39.99, Aug. 1 Volume 32, Issue 5
The Circle
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