Closed Circuit

Closed Circuit follows lawyers (and ex lovers) Martin Rose (Eric Bana) and Claudia Simmons-Howe (Rebecca Hall) as they’re forced to team up on a high-profile terrorism case, with problems ensuing as it becomes more and more clear that said case isn’t quite as cut-and-dried as it may have initially appeared. There’s little doubt that Closed Circuit fares especially poorly in its opening stretch, with the movie suffering from an overly deliberate pace that’s compounded by a dry, less-than-engrossing narrative. (The somewhat tedious relationship between Bana and Hall’s respective characters doesn’t help matters, either.) It’s clear, then, that the film improves immeasurably once it progresses into its comparatively engrossing midsection, as scripter Steven Knight places a growing emphasis on Martin and Claudia’s growing paranoia involving the case (ie it becomes clear that there’s a massive conspiracy at work here). The progressively intriguing atmosphere is heightened by the inclusion of several standout sequences, including Claudia’s tense efforts at translating a key phrase and Martin’s polite-on-the-surface encounter with a quietly menacing upper-echelon figure (Jim Broadbent, in a scene-stealing cameo). Closed Circuit does, unfortunately, fizzle out to fairly prominent effect in its final stretch, with the focus shifting to a series of rather hackneyed and predictable events that lead into a far-from-shocking conclusion – which confirms the movie’s place as a passable yet underwhelming political thriller.

**1/2 out of ****