Movie Review: The Circle (2017)

The Circle is 2017 movie directed by James Ponsoldt based on a book. I initially thought it was about a cult or something. Because, the term cirle and the drawing on the book cover? Well, it is much more modern than that. 



You will see Emma Watson and Tom Hanks in it. Need another reason to watch it?
Your favorite John Boyega will also appear on the movie.
You're welcome!

John Boyega and Emma Watson

The circle is the term of worldwide site or database that contain all of your activity, such as pictures you take when you're teenagers, the places you visit last year, oh wait that sounds like google account. Well, it's more than that. You can even pay taxes, electricity bill, and health insurance via The Circle.

Honestly, I was taken aback by google ghosting around every move I took. Creepy story, when I was just activating my new mobile phone, google recorded my activities for several days. On the fifth day, when I was still on my office after work hours, I had notification on my phone telling me it's time to go home and showed me the road I should take because there's traffic jam on this xx road. And I freaked out. Like, was that necessary??
Then, this movie takes it to another level.



I like the headquarters though. It offers so many benefits that accomodates every single employee's interest. And also once you're accepted, the Circle will grab on you and make sure you work there for a long time. Sounds crazy, but at one side, if they doesn't corner you like they does to Mae, you'll be happy to work there.




(spoiler)




Mae Holland, played by the one and only Emma Watson, is the guppy of The Circle. Guppy is the term of new employee. Her bestfriend, Annie, get her interview for vacant position there. Such a generous move from her. I've always feared 'interview' because honestly I don't know what to do to tackle one (someone please enlighten me). As expected Mae tackles the interview. She does her best in the first week. She's getting comfortable being in new job but then the problem arise.


The deeper you step in, the more you get wet from it. Her parents seem not happy she works there, even Annie. The Circle invents new thing one after another. The latest one SeeChange, opportunity to record all of your activity online, like real time vlog, I think.

Mae creates a problem to herself, then she lands the first lab rat for this SeeChange.

I was amused and entertained when Mae was formally introduced as the first person to show how SeeChange works. It's like being calculated all along. Everything fell into place so perfectly. It's coincidental but at the same time, everything makes sense. From her background being inspected by The Circle, how the office offers full health assitance for her sick dad, and she pays back as SeeChange lab rat.
Well, it's a plot, it's supposed to be perfect btw.



Mae wakes up on her bed, the sensor comes to live, then she has worldwide audience that watches her move every single minute. There are so many people commenting on her channel, using different kind of language. Her colleagues greet her at work, being so friendly, she sits with different co-workers at lunch and meeting, things she never does before. It's a good thing indeed, she even becomes more daring and gives more input into The Cirle. Suddenly she's the employee of the year that every person will agree to whatever she says. The leader, Eamon and Tom, looks satisfied. They press even further into her privacy.


They make her to introduce the new invention, Soul Search, that enables anyone to find person, whether it's fugitive or commoner, under 20 minutes. Sounds foul but okay, let's get it on. I wonder if they'd use Mae's close relatives to try out this feature. It turns out that way! And it doesn't work well..



The idea of being constantly recorded and tracked makes me think how privacy is more precious than before. I mean, we get it, that we need that spotlight, we're thirsty of the attention, but that doesn't mean we need to put everything out there. If you don't, you'll be pressed until you give in.


I'm sure there are wild pioneer in our community, if not share same ideas with this plot, they indeed have plan on their sleeves to make better future but also worse at the same time.
It eases my heart a little bit that our citizen is not woke enough to do any of the invention like in the movie. We're not in the level of that yet. We're so easy to be led into certain perspectives and the smart pioneer will be easily beaten if they play hard. Take example of the mass movement from the 4 November and the other big dates after that. A messy mass movement.

Stay woke, guys!
If you don't know what that term stands to, we can't be friends.



Kidding!




The bottom line is Mae Holland fixes her situation by throwing SeeChange back to The Circle's leaders. And the rolling dice will keep rolling until someone's big enough to control the situation.


I vote The Circle under Thought Provoking tags on google.

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