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Enemy of the State
Flashy, state of the art direction by Tony Scott anchors Enemy of the State, a crackerjack, edge-of-your-seat action thriller that provides frightening connotations to the well-worn phrase "Big Brother is watching you."
This riveting nail-biter stars Will Smith as Robert Dean, a hotshot DC labor lawyer in the middle of a high-powered case involving some very dangerous mobsters whose life is methodically destroyed and put in imminent danger when he inadvertently gets hold of incriminating evidence regarding a politically motivated murder. Just when he seems like he has nowhere to turn, he finds an ally in a disgraced former government agent (Gene Hackman).
Director Scott provides meticulous direction to David Marconi's richly complex screenplay which finds an ordinary man caught in the middle of two extremely dangerous criminal situations through an accidental association from his past and how his life completely unravels with absolutely no control over what is happening to him. The truly frightening aspect of the deconstruction of Robert Dean is that, technically, it all happens courtesy of the United States government, the government that is supposed to be protecting our civil liberties, not destroying them. Despite the overall suspense presented here, Marconi's story also provides just enough comic flourish to keep what happens routed in realism.
What's truly terrifying about this story is the alacrity with which these government people zero in on Robert and take over his life. It seems like a matter of hours that the incriminating evidence that Robert has is traced to its exact location, with the aid of almost space age technology operated by super genius technical support who know exactly what they are doing. Love the scene when they first break into Robert's house and make it appear like an amateur B&E by stealing his blender, leaving one suit in the closet and spray painting his dog. Loved the stripping of the surveillance items (including a bug in his shoe!) and the harrowing chase through that tunneled highway.
This film is so frightening because it opens our eyes to exactly how en pointe "Big Brother" is and how none of us are safe. This is made clear with the creation of this central character, who is principled and hard working, but hardly a super hero or anything special. We really fear for him when he initially thinks it's his mobster dealings that are the cause of what is happening to him, or even worse, what happens when the mob and the government begin to collide.
What really makes this film tick is the dazzling, almost futuristic storytelling style that director Scott brings to this terrific story, aided by superb production values, especially film editing, cinematography, music, and sound. Will Smith plays it relatively straight for a change and makes a convincing action hero thrust into the role, matched by Hackman's beautifully underplayed government ally. Jon Voight makes a superb villain and there are some offbeat casting choices in the supporting cast, including Jack Black, Jake Busey, Lisa Bonet, Loren Dean, Scott Caan, and Seth Green. Crackling entertainment from opening to closing credits.
Flashy, state of the art direction by Tony Scott anchors Enemy of the State, a crackerjack, edge-of-your-seat action thriller that provides frightening connotations to the well-worn phrase "Big Brother is watching you."
This riveting nail-biter stars Will Smith as Robert Dean, a hotshot DC labor lawyer in the middle of a high-powered case involving some very dangerous mobsters whose life is methodically destroyed and put in imminent danger when he inadvertently gets hold of incriminating evidence regarding a politically motivated murder. Just when he seems like he has nowhere to turn, he finds an ally in a disgraced former government agent (Gene Hackman).
Director Scott provides meticulous direction to David Marconi's richly complex screenplay which finds an ordinary man caught in the middle of two extremely dangerous criminal situations through an accidental association from his past and how his life completely unravels with absolutely no control over what is happening to him. The truly frightening aspect of the deconstruction of Robert Dean is that, technically, it all happens courtesy of the United States government, the government that is supposed to be protecting our civil liberties, not destroying them. Despite the overall suspense presented here, Marconi's story also provides just enough comic flourish to keep what happens routed in realism.
What's truly terrifying about this story is the alacrity with which these government people zero in on Robert and take over his life. It seems like a matter of hours that the incriminating evidence that Robert has is traced to its exact location, with the aid of almost space age technology operated by super genius technical support who know exactly what they are doing. Love the scene when they first break into Robert's house and make it appear like an amateur B&E by stealing his blender, leaving one suit in the closet and spray painting his dog. Loved the stripping of the surveillance items (including a bug in his shoe!) and the harrowing chase through that tunneled highway.
This film is so frightening because it opens our eyes to exactly how en pointe "Big Brother" is and how none of us are safe. This is made clear with the creation of this central character, who is principled and hard working, but hardly a super hero or anything special. We really fear for him when he initially thinks it's his mobster dealings that are the cause of what is happening to him, or even worse, what happens when the mob and the government begin to collide.
What really makes this film tick is the dazzling, almost futuristic storytelling style that director Scott brings to this terrific story, aided by superb production values, especially film editing, cinematography, music, and sound. Will Smith plays it relatively straight for a change and makes a convincing action hero thrust into the role, matched by Hackman's beautifully underplayed government ally. Jon Voight makes a superb villain and there are some offbeat casting choices in the supporting cast, including Jack Black, Jake Busey, Lisa Bonet, Loren Dean, Scott Caan, and Seth Green. Crackling entertainment from opening to closing credits.