Often on this blog I will differentiate between a film’s story idea and its story, usually to point out how great story ideas (which sell the movie) are usually completely wasted by lazy and cynical screenwriting. Well Closed Circuit takes this concept one further – its nominal story idea (closed circuit cameras are watching everything we do) is, incredibly, completely irrelevant to the actual story. They could have written and told this entire story without reference to a single closed circuit camera, and it would have lost nothing. It’s almost as if someone proposed doing a paranoid thriller based on the idea that government (and private) surveillance is completely out of control, and then months down the road, ten writing teams later, they found themselves sitting with a movie that had almost nothing to do with surveillance, and forgot to change the title.

This film is actually about governments prosecuting terrorist acts in secret – specifically, about how that’s a bad idea. Actually, that’s probably why they kept the “closed circuit” idea and ad campaign – questioning unaccountable totalitarian structures is downright un-American these days. The story is enjoyable, and pretty even (it does not fall apart toward the end,) but at the same time it does not leave you with a whole lot. The rhythm and content of the dialog is very TV-like, and the plot comes across as a compressed and simplified version of a (quite good) TV political drama. I walked away from Closed Circuit thinking it would have been a great Homeland-type TV show. But judged as a movie on a topic this rich with potential, the story simply lacked depth and texture, the dialog was rather limited, minor character development was ignored (hell, major character development was ignored!) and frankly the basic story was told no better than adequately.

I am very happy to see Rebecca Hall getting a starring turn, and she is, as always, really good. Eric Bana, an actor I really don’t care for, is actually pretty decent here. And for fans of Julia Stiles (I definitely count myself one,) don’t get too excited – she’s barely in the film and has almost nothing to do in her few scenes.

Closed Circuit is a good summer popcorn movie. Just don’t expect the world.