“Surveillance” is a twisted R-rated thriller, Bill Pullman is good and plays uneasy like a champ in a creepy role.

If you like thrillers, go ahead and rent this… but if thrillers are not your type, this movie isn’t strong enough to convince you of the genre.

You’ve been warned: “Surveillance” doesn’t have scene after scene of graphic violence, but there are a few scenes where the violent images are pretty grisy, earning the R-rating, along with with the language, drugs, and adult themes that may not be okay for younger viewers.
 

(my spoiler-free review)

This is a more difficult task because the movie has some twists and turns but I don’t want to ruin the plot or storyline for you.

Pullman and Julia Ormand are solid as Agent Hallaway and Agent Anderson… investigating a series of serial murders across the country.  The supporting cast holds up well – some are witnesses/survivors  to the latest murders, the others are the law enforcement in a small town.

The strongest supporting performance is 9-year-old Ryan Simpkins that plays ”Stephanie”, one of the survivors of the serial killers’ latest attack that killed her parents and older brother.   Simpkins’ role is one of the best child performances of the year so far.

Pell James is solid as a drug addict/witness, Kent Harper and French Stewart are convincing as two less than honorable police officers that get closer to the case than they would have wanted, and Michael Ironside makes it look easy playing the police Captain.  Hugh Dillon and Cheri Oteri are okay as Stephanie’s parents, but Oteri almost seems like she’s going to break out in comedy, rather than play the serious role she was selected to play.  She does play the impatient/upset mother well.

The story sets up well with the typical local cops vs. federal agents uneasiness… which really works later in the movie.

As Agent Hallaway and Agent Anderson interview the witnesses, there is a overall feeling of uneasiness and confusion that something isn’t quite right with the incident the witnesses are all talking about… two of witnesses describe the story leaving out all the facts to paint themselves in a better light, while little Stephanie is very reserved while trying to tell the story of how her family was killed.

THE BOTTOM LINE:

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 Powerful storytelling and amazing performances make The Curious Case of Benjamin Button a lock for academy award contention.

Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett lead a great cast of actors that capture their characters so well, you forget you’re watching actors.

The uniqueness of the concept makes the movie very intriguing and there’s also a Forrest Gump (1994) quality about this movie, but its not as uplifting and triumphant.

 “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”

(2008) (rated: PG-13 for brief war violence, sexual content, language and smoking) (2 hrs, 39 min)

Starring: Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Taraji P. Henson, Julia Ormond, Jason Flemyng, Mahershalalhashbaz Ali, Tilda Swinton, Jared Harris

Director: David Fincher – Zodiac (2007), Panic Room (2002), Fight Club (1999), Se7en (1995), Alien 3 (1992)

Genre: Drama/Fantasy/Romance

The Plot: Tells the story of Benjamin Button, a man who starts aging backwards with bizarre consequences.

MY TAKE: This is clearly one of the best movies of 2008 with a great concept (aging backwards), great cast, great story, great makeup and costumes.

Pitt and Blanchett are great in their roles as their characters age in opposite directions, while keeping the personality and voice throughout.   The rest of the cast is superb with characters that are well rounded with depth regardless of their screentime.

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