Paranoia

MPAA/Content PG-13 [AC, AL, V]

Distributor Relativity Media

Technical HD 2.35:1

Genre(s) DRA/THR

Runtime 106 mins.

Country USA

Budget $35M

 

CAST

Liam Hemsworth, Harrison Ford, Gary Oldman, Amber Heard, Lucas Till, Embeth Davidtz, Julian McMahon, Josh Holloway & Richard Dreyfuss

 

CREDITS

Director: Robert Luketic;  Screenwriters: Jason Hall & Barry L. Levy;  Producers: Alexandra Milchan, Scott Lambert, William D. Johnson & Deepak Nayar;  Director Of Photography: David Tattersall;  Production Designers: David Brisbin & Missy Stewart;  Editor: Dany Cooper;  Costume Designer: Luca Mosca;  Music Composer: Junkie XL

 

THE SYNOPSIS

NYC.  Adam Cassidy (Hemsworth) is low-level computer wiz who works for a tech corporation run by the pithy Nicholas Wyatt (Oldman).  Fired for insubordination, he gathers his now-unemployed crew—including best pal Kevin (Till)—and blows a small fortune on the company credit card as payback.  Wyatt’s sinister enforcer Meechum (McMahon) blackmails Adam into working as a corporate spy for Wyatt and his right-hand woman, Judith Bolton (Davidtz).

Fearful of being blackballed or arrested—and thus unable to provide for his ill father, Frank (Dreyfuss)—Adam agrees to infiltrate the tech firm of Wyatt’s former mentor-turned-enemy Jock Goddard (Ford).  He does so by meeting and seducing Goddard’s Director of Marketing Emma Jennings (Heard), whom he eventually develops real feelings for.

Turns out that the seemingly benevolent Goddard has a serpentine side as it is revealed that he stole many of Wyatt’s ideas and created hi-tech gadgets that have netted his firm billions of dollars. Adam is cornered by FBI Agent Gamble (Holloway), who notifies him of the deaths of three other former Wyatt employees who went to work for Goddard.

Meechum threatens to kills Frank if Adam does not steal Goddard’s top-secret prototype cell phone and proves it by running Kevin over with his car.  He survives—but the message is clear.  Also, Emma breaks up with Adam when she discovers that he has played her.

With things at their worst, Adam breaks into his firm’s hi-tech vault and is cornered by Goddard himself—who knew that Adam was a spy all along.  Goddard forces Wyatt & Bolton to meet with him and Adam to settle affairs—and that’s when the claws come out.  However, Adam has a few surprises up his own sleeve.

 

THE CRITIQUE

Despite an eye-catching trailer and hip marketing campaign, PARANOIA comes up short a few gigabytes short as a full-on movie-going experience.  Even the timely theme of technology run amok—or more precisely, tech moguls gone amok —is zapped of any potency no thanks to a pedestrian screenplay by scribes Jason Hall and Barry L. Levy (Vantage Point)…which was based on the 2004 novel by Joseph Finder.

According to the production notes, the filmmakers sought to examine the novel’s heady themes of corporate excess, ethical boundaries of data surveillance and greedy CEOs who always get their way.  Something must’ve got lost in the translation—because what appears on-screen is nothing more than a pissing contest between the tech CEOs played by Ford & Oldman…with lead actor Hemsworth caught in the middle for the proverbial splashdown.

Speaking of the cast, up-and-comer Aussie Liam Hemsworth has the looks, charisma and developing talent to go on to much better roles in his career.  As it stands here, it is lucky for him that PARANOIA is more of an ensemble picture.  He shares the screen with icons Gary Oldman (a terrific actor stuck in an underdeveloped role) and Harrison Ford (a terrific star who’s not doing what he does best when playing a villain)—both of whom played opposite each other in Wolfgang Petersen’s stellar Air Force One (1997).

Of the supporting cast, actress Amber Heard does her part in a reactionary role—as does Josh Holloway, who is barely utilized in the finished movie.  Julian McMahon’s enforcer definitely had the sinister part down—but again, not a fully-fleshed out character by any means.  This leaves us with the Oscarâ-winning actor Richard Dreyfuss, who plays papa Frank with quiet, blue-collar dignity—in essence, the soul of the movie…and, the righteous antithesis of Hemsworth’s paternas dichotomia in Oldman & Ford.  It’s too bad that this once great actor has been reduced to such small roles…

The $35 million PARANOIA (boxofficemojo.com) is helmed with workman-like craft by veteran Aussie director Robert Luketic (Legally Blonde, 21, Killers), who earns some kudos for trying to visualize the weak script into a more kinetic movie—accentuated by some nice cutting by veteran editor Dany Cooper (Queen Of The Damned).

Production values are easily the movie’s selling-points—with top marks going towards veteran British cinematographer David Tattersall (Star Wars: Episodes I-III, The Green Mile) for his crisp, technocratic HD-widescreen lensing and attractive production design by Production Designers David Brisbin (Drugstore Cowboy, The Exorcism Of Emily Rose, Sinister) & Missy Stewart (Legally Blonde, 21, Killers).

Everyone in the movie (with the exception of Dreyfuss, it seems) gets to dwell in snazzy cribs—very much ultra-modern chic design by Armani Casa.  This extends to the stylish threads worn by lead Hemsworth—courtesy of veteran Italian costumer Luca Mosca (Vantage Point, 21, Premium Rush).  Yo Luca, how’s about decking me out in some fashionable threads?  I’ll easily look a foot taller!

Finally, though set in New York City, most PARANOIA was obviously shot in and out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  So my question is, why not just set it in Philly?  Moot point for a lousy flick, I know…

 

THE BOTTOM LINE

The moral of PARANOIA is that greed is not good—and that technology will be the downfall of humanity.  Well, not really—but I’m sure that’s what the filmmakers intended!  Solid production values, glossy lensing and a good-looking cast cannot save this tepid retread of other (and better) techno-thrillers.  At least the cribs and threads look nice!

 

 

IMDB:             http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1413495/

Wikipedia:     http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paranoia_(2013_film)

Official Site:   http://paranoiamovie.com/