The Circle [DVD]

This moving was scary as hell and it gave winked at the most important lesson for the future of technology.Private information, in the wrong hands can be dangerous and deadly. In reality, who would make the decisions to respect and control information so sensitive and personal about any of us; greedy tyrannical politicians and the Big Tech CEOs?Voting machines are already have 10 ways to be hacked and flip votes. So, why not make everyone vote wither they want to or not....then sell the political position to the highest bid. And if they dont vote; shut down their banking account or expose their health issues. Or, maybe just create some false crime and arrest them or make it look like they were running and shoot them dead, even if they were not armed.Frankly, the endling of this movie was crap and seriously delusional. There is absolutely no way that a Big Tech company could get this much power and not use it for evil.....If you think this was cool or a better way of life....then wear a camera all day and allow one person to have control of all your assets, money, social media accounts, privacy, etc.They already know too much now!! More than you know!

The story revolves around a corporation ("the Circle") that develops technology which can track, filter and analyze a whole lot of data worldwide; everything from a person's location to their conversations to their health. The technology isn't sci-fi as it's already here and more advanced stages are in the works. Overall, the story, plot, actors and characters are good and thought-provoking. It's worth the watch if subjects like technology, surveillance, and data-mining interests you.Throughout the movie, there is certainly a creepy vibe, but also some positive notes dropped occasionally (i.e. the main character's life, Emma Watson, is saved by this data-gathering (spying?) technology). This ballet of bad versus good is intentional, not random as some suggest. It's portraying that technology is a tool - it's neither good or bad - it's how we, human beings, use technology for good or for evil. Common sense dictates there must be limitations of course, as no government, corporation or individual should have unlimited power - or in this case data/knowledge and 24/7 surveillance - which can easily be abused, even if good intentions justify it.The final scene is "open ended" - meaning there is no real closure to the story - but for good reason. It's wanting the audience to acknowledge (and ponder) this is a real possibility in our current times and future, so the "ending" is up to us to decide. How much personal info exposed to the public is good? Shouldn't we have some privacy? Can surveillance and 'public info' go too far? I think so. Some people hate open-ended closures, but I enjoyed it.On another point, I'm not sure why there are so many negative reviews. The movie is well worth the watch. Maybe I put my conspiracy hat on, but I think there might be some "troll" reviews for political and/or corporate interests here? This movie is definitely comparing "The Circle" corporation to Google and Apple along with their technology and future plans. Some critical reviews are legit, I'm sure, but the high number of low-scores certainly seems artificially high...perhaps I'm just paranoid? Is that a drone spying through my window!?!?!? AHHH!Regardless, watch the movie and judge it for yourself!

we were turned off at first by the misleading promotion for this film. this is not a "suspense thriller". it's a coming of age drama and "admonition", of sorts, by way of light and dark satire. the main character, mae, is a kind of "everyman" in today's world. her supporters, the "zingers", also are a collective "everyman". we hear the film responding to them, "put down your phones, etc., think, and listen to yourself, first."some critics, perhaps unduly gadget controlled, may have been put off by the fact they are "subjects/targets" of the satire. others may be unenthused by ambiguity and ellipsis, preferring certainty and clarity. this film requires audiences to think independently and to participate, especially in the third act. the relatively quick tonal shifts suggest tight editing--which some may not appreciate. and still others may prefer dave eggers' (a co-writer) novel (longer and darker) to this film.but, especially after a second viewing, we regard this as the best and most important film we've seen this year, unlike anything else. we enjoy imagining interpretations for the ending. we think some of the supporting actors, including karen gillan and bill paxton, are really really good. watson is quite good (the criticism of her "accent" or "youth" is baffling), and hanks as always is spot on (while playing a different kind of role). the writing/structure is a bit spare but serves its purpose. and the third act photography/imagery is revelatory.for those viewers who are critical, maybe a second viewing, ignoring the promotion and critical stampede and accepting a more active role, would help. it did for us. we wound up purchasing the dvd. we wish there were more films like this one, appealing to intelligence and addressing contemporary concerns.