Cypher (2002)
Never forget who you are.
Starring: Jeremy Northam, Lucy Liu, Nigel Bennett, Timothy Webber, David Hewlett, Kari Matchette
Director: Vincenzo Natali
Running Time: 95 minutes
US MPAA rating: N/AUK BBFC rating: 15
Action, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Thriller
Director Vincenzo Natali has followed his claustrophobic debut 'Cube' with 'Cypher', another tale of labyrinthine entrapment set in the not so distant future. Only this time, the much bigger budget has allowed Natali to broaden his ambitions, and the result is an impressively expansive vision of dystopia.
When Digicorp signs up non-entity Morgan Sullivan to become a corporate spy, it seems the perfect opportunity for Morgan to bring some excitement to an otherwise bland life. Travelling from state to state under the alias of Jack Thursby, Sullivan quickly reinvents himself as a cigarette smoking, single malt drinking lover of golf from the South Seas, but his assignments - secretly recording speeches given at hotel conventions put on by rival corporation Sunways - turn out to be drab, uneventful affairs. Then a strange, attractive woman called Rita reveals that Digicorp has been using the conferences to brainwash Morgan into believing that he really is Jack, and Morgan is soon co-opted to do counterintelligence work for Sunways, pretending to think he is Jack and feeding bogus data to Digicorp. Swept along by the unclear motives of both corporations, and by the interventions of a shadowy freelance operative called Sebastian Rooks, Morgan begins to lose his grip on who he is, what he wants and where his allegiances lie.
With its alter egos, double agents and triple crosses, 'Cypher' combines industrial espionage with alternative reality in a satisfyingly mind-bending plot reminiscent of Philip K. Dick at his best. Every time you think you have 'Cypher' pinned down, a new twist forces you to reassess radically all that has proceeded - and then, when the film is over, you will find yourself replaying all the events in your mind, wondering how it all can fit together so neatly, and whether the ending really is as upbeat as it first seemed. In short, while it lasts little more than an hour and a half, this devilishly enigmatic film will keep your brain in knots for days.
Dystopian science fiction often borrows the frame of film noir - a tradition traceable from 'Blade Runner' to 'Brazil', 'Gattaca' and 'Minority Report'. 'Cypher' nods to this convention by being in something like, if not the same as, black and white, with most of its colour artificially subdued - an effect which, as well as being integral, in complicated ways, to the meaning of the story, also makes 'Cypher' very stylish to watch indeed.
Lucy Liu puts in an appropriately inscrutable performance as Rita, and gets to wear a striking array of outfits, but Jeremy Northam is truly extraordinary in his double rôle as both nerdish, confused Morgan Sullivan and the suave agent he gets to play.
'Cypher' is an excellent addition to a long line of films (see below) which prove that in cinema, if not in life, dystopia is the place to be.
It's Got: Intrigue, identity crisis, and more twists than a pretzel factory
It Needs: A medal for scriptwriter Brian King
Alternatives: The Manchurian Candidate, Blade Runner, Brazil, Total Recall, Gattaca, The Matrix, The Matrix: Reloaded, Minority Report, Equilibrium, Existenz, Avalon, Fight Club.
Summary: A spy thriller, an existential thriller and a brainteaser all at once, with great performances and hallucinatory visuals. Highly recommended.
Review Date: 28th August 2003
External Links
Official Web Site
Cypher at the IMDB
Comments6 Comments |
| i read the review - i saw the movie! It was great, good performances and Jeremy was very good as the addled agent never knowing who to trust. But afterwards....on the walk out of the cinema it struck me: The happy ending is very deceiving, in fact I was totally deceived until I thought a bit more about it, and now it is a very clever ending indeed and explains a lot about jeremy's performance! Loved the look of it and wish the matrix had half its brains. Excellent stuff and a shame cronenberg doesn't make them like this anymore. After the enjoyable Cube, Natali has created another enjoyable, intricate puzzle. |
| Comment by:- stephen | | 23 February 2004 | ip: logged |
| The film was introduced to me by a friend who rented it from our local viideo store. I saw the film and immeadiatley had to buy it...which i did... ... The DVD now sits proudly atop my television in an air tight, water proof, fire proof casing as i don't know what I'd do without this film in my collection. There is no doubt that every single DVD player owner has to have this excellent film. A classic of our time? I think so. Better than Minority Report? I know so. P.S. OSCARS FOR NORTHAM, LIU, NATALI, KING (screenwriter) AND WHICHEVER GENIUS WROTE THE MUSIC |
| Comment by:- Paddy Garrigan | | 10 June 2004 | ip: logged |
| "Good plot, good acting, good atmosphere; good film." |
| Comment by:- Dave B | | 27 July 2004 | ip: logged |
| Most intriguing. I pride myself on always having an idea of where the plot will end up (fortunately, Dan Brown and Patricia Cornwall keep me on my toes and ALWAYS suprise me) but Cypher... wow! The review above was spot on when it said that each twist forced you to completely re-evaluate your assumptions. The twists continue to build and build until the mammoth-sized final twist completely stuns the audience. I can only dream of the preliminary studies that were behind the storyline... the writer deserves a medal!! |
| Comment by:- glitterfairy | | 02 October 2004 | ip: logged |
| i just bought this moview and i can't belice how good it is! it is incredible! espeicaly the plot and the twists in it! it such a big plot IT IS IMPOSSIBLE to guess the ending! |
| Comment by:- ben k. | www.freewebs.com/sonic_spastic... | 09 October 2004 | ip: logged |
| plz go on ma website! oh yeah the movie iz gut. a must buy i mean read the reviews and ask people how how good it iz! :) |
| Comment by:- jon kokolas | kokolas.tk | 09 October 2004 | ip: logged |
