[...] the future may be shaping up to be just as horrible as the pessimists have been predicting, but with a few unexpected twists. Yes, people will become enslaved, but not to governments, but to social media and search engine companies. “The Circle,” based on Dave Eggers novel, is as chilling as the most frightening horror movie. Let’s put together a time capsule and make guesses as to how people 50 years from now will see this movie. Directed by James Ponsoldt and adapted by Ponsoldt and Eggers, the movie tells the story of a young woman who goes to work at The Circle, a company that’s like a hellish cross between Facebook, Apple and Google. The place is run by its two founders, who, in an inspired bit of casting, are played by the inherently likable Tom Hanks and Patton Oswalt. In an early scene, the more extroverted of the two, Eamon (Tom Hanks), does a presentation in an auditorium full of employees. What makes “The Circle” so valuable is not only that it’s showing us a ghastly possible path that the world may take, but that it articulates the mentality that could create and sustain it. According to Eamon, complete transparency strengthens democracy — nothing untoward can happen behind closed doors. Outside the enclosure of privacy waits the online goon squad, always ready to reinforce the stupid consensus through an idiotic stream of commentary. “The Circle” is very much a plea for the preservation and sanctification of privacy, but it’s nicely constructed in that no one character expresses the film’s distinct point of view.
Comment on ‘The Circle’ a tale of technology run amok
By Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle: Entertainment
Wed, 04/26/2017 - 10:36am
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