Film Review: ‘Closed Circuit’ is a Tense Reminder of Our Times

CHICAGO – The threat of terrorist acts defies security. That is a fundamental truth. With 7 billion people on the planet – and an infinite number of motivations within them – all the security cameras, techniques and agencies cannot stop a determined group or individual, as depicted in “Closed Circuit.”

Rating: 4.0/5.0

The film presents a fictional terrorist scenario in London – a market bombing – and dissects it through the legal defense team that will try to determine their client’s connection to the crime. The complex story uncovers a web of deceit and cover-up, and the British government is involved. But basically the film speaks to power – the power of determination over bureaucracy, the power of secrets over truth and the power of a societal structure that allows governmental agencies to freely spend and develop terrorist preventatives that ultimately are just cover-thy-butt procedures.

The film begins with the multiple points-of-view familiar to closed circuit security cameras. A bustling London market is going through the ritual of the day. On one view, there is a truck having problems being illegally parked. The truck explodes, killing hundreds of Londoners. Only one man, Farroukh Erdogan (Denis Moschitto), is prosecuted for the crime. The storage space that he rented had the explosives, and the driver of the truck used it.

The trial occurs several months later. The British government, represented by the Attorney General (Jim Broadbent), is bamboozled when the lead defense attorney commits suicide. His replacement, Martin Rose (Eric Bana), has a personal hitch regarding the trial – the Special Advocate Claudia Simmons-Howe (Rebecca Hall) is an ex-lover, and is assigned to interpret classified documents that even Martin can’t be privy to. This puts both of them in the middle of many secrets, and those secrets have implications on several levels.

”Closed Circuit” opens everywhere on August 28th. Featuring Eric Bana, Rebecca Hall, Jim Broadbent, Clarán Hinds and Denis Moschitto. Screenplay by Steven Knight. Directed by John Crowley. Rated “R”