The Circle: She Loved Big Brother
The Circle is the second movie I’ve seen this year with an abysmal Rotten Tomatoes score that I’ve enjoyed (The first being the much-maligned Fifty Shades Darker). While I’ll agree the acting and pacing could have used some tightening, the set direction and subtle message of the movie makes viewing worthwhile. Note: the rest of the post will contain spoilers (including a discussion of the ending), so if you want to avoid all that, go read my review of Fifty Shades Darker.
Still with me? Okay, good.
The Circle is an adaptation of the eponymous novel by Dave Eggers. It tells the story of Mae Holland (Emma Watson), a luckless temp working at a call center. After her friend Annie (Karen Gillan) gets her an interview, Mae goes to work at the Circle, a Google/Microsoft/Apple/Facebook amalgamation fronted by the charismatic Bailey (Tom Hanks). The Circle have developed a range of products designed to make life easier…or so they like to claim. Meanwhile, others aren’t so sure, including a Senator and the mysterious Ty (John Boyega). Mae bounces back and forth between trusting and not trusting the Circle. On the one hand, they paid for her parents’ medical treatment. On the other hand, voluntary/mandatory extracurricular activities seem a bit excessive. But defying the Circle might be more difficult than she imagines.
Let me be clear: This movie could have been better, especially given the level of acting talent on display. Watson, Hanks, Gillan, and Boyega lead a stellar cast, which includes Bill Paxton in his final role before his unexpected passing earlier this year. One of my issues with the film is that the pace is awfully slow, which often leaves the actors with little to do. Gillan gets the most range out of the script, as her character descends into irritability from overwork and jealousy as Mar shoots up the ladder. Hanks and fellow comedian Patton Oswalt are both in fine form playing against type as the villains. Writers Eggers and James Ponsoldt seem to have struggled with how to adapt Eggers’ novel, as the movie feels more book-paced than movie-paced.
However, what the movie lacks in pacing it makes up for in set design and subtlety. The designers have masterfully created a world where an all-encompassing social media experience like the Circle feels both new and normal. The Circle’s compound looks exactly as I imagine any of the Silicon Valley complexes would. And the text aspect of the movie almost jumps off the screen, perfectly imitating the immediate nature of today’s social media. Watching Mae respond (and ignore) the plethora of social media messages she’s inundated with hits close to home for anyone in 2017.
But her emails…
I want to talk about the ending, which many have dismissed as slight and unfulfilling. During an unveiling of one of the Circle’s new products, Mae accidentally causes the death of one of her childhood friends. Thee episode causes her to fall into a depression and leads her to…take revenge on her bosses by giving up what little privacy she had? Wait, what?
The Circle deals with a bunch of themes, many of which have been explored before in classics like 1984 and Brave New World. I would argue that her reaction at the end of the movie is similar to Winston Smith’s in 1984. In that book, Smith is tortured by the government and everything he loves is taken from him. Yet he comes out on the government’s side. “He loved Big Brother,” George Orwell wrote.
The same could be said of Mae. Watson’s character finds freedom in slavery just as Winston Smith does. It’s a subtle message, but one consistent with her character. Throughout the film Mae is trying to be the best at what she does. After the death of her friend, she realizes that the only way to be the best is to plunge fully into the world the Circle is striving for: one totally devoid of privacy. It’s a terrifying thought, but one that comes naturally to Mae. In the battle for her own self, where privacy and transparency are pitted against one another, transparency wins. Would it win in real life? Maybe. Who can say? Maybe the question is moot. As the Circle demonstrates, once on the grid, it’s damn hard to get off it.
The Circle tl;drs
Quick summary: When Mae Holland gets a job at tech innovation company the Circle, it’s everything she ever dreamed. But she soon discovers that there’s a price to pay for total social media immersion.
Too many writers? James Ponsoldt helps Dave Eggers adapt his novel for the screen.
Recommended if you like: Fleeing dystopian reality for dystopian fantasy.
Better than I expected? The world Eggers creates feels real, and the set design deftly replicates the claustrophobia of an always-on lifestyle.
Worse than I hoped? The ending comes abruptly and takes some time getting used to.
Verdict: The Circle is deeper than its 16% Rotten Tomatoes score suggests.
Related Reading: Brave New World
