The Circle (2017)

Directed by: James Ponsoldt | 110 minutes | drama, science fiction, thriller | Actors: Emma Watson, Tom Hanks, Glenne Headly, Bill Paxton, Karen Gillan, Ellar Coltrane, John Boyega, Patton Oswalt, Nate Corddry, Mamoudou Athie, Julian von Nagel, Amie McCarthy Winn, Eve Gordon, Smith Cho, Amir Talai, Poorna Jagannathan, Judy Reyes, Elvy Yost, Ellen Wong

The fear that modern technology will take over has been around for so long that a writer has to be very good at coming up with a surprising topic with that subject. Fortunately, Dave Eggers is such a person. His ‘The Circle’ (2013), about a powerful internet company where a young, somewhat naive woman starts working and who, after some starting problems, helps the company move forward by leaps and bounds, was a big hit. Both the public and the press loved the novel and a film adaptation was not long in coming. James Ponsoldt, director of ‘Smashed’ and ‘The End of the Tour’, among others, has been recruited to direct and rising star Emma Watson plays the lead role.

Mae Holland (Emma Watson) is king when she comes to an entrance for a job at The Circle by her friend Annie (a ravishing Karen Gillan). Her job interview is difficult, but one comment (“What is your biggest fear?” “Unfulfilled potential”) means she is hired, because that way of thinking is very much in line with The Circle. Mae starts her days at the prestigious company at the bottom, in the customer service department, and at first she is dizzy. The intention is that as an employee you always try to score 100 % customer satisfaction, but also the social interactions with colleagues are ranked, because the sense of community is very important to The Circle. Despite her concerns about her MS-sufferer father (last role of Bill Paxton, who died suddenly in 2017 – and he’s good here!), Mae manages to make her mark on her work and presence within weeks.

Then one of the company’s leaders, Eamon Bailey (Tom Hanks), introduces the company’s latest invention at Dream Friday, a weekly employee gathering. A camera, in the shape of a marble, can be placed anywhere and then broadcasts in real-time, in razor-sharp HD. Another plus: the inventive device, called SeeChange, costs nothing. The benefits are inexhaustible, such as human rights and security. Of course it also has drawbacks, but privacy is a dirty word within The Circle. When Mae discovers that she would behave better if she were constantly watched, the company uses it to make her go “transparent” for 24 hours. And that has – of course – far-reaching consequences.

The film ‘The Circle’ differs from the book on important points. If you’re still planning to read that, it’s definitely recommended to do so before you see the film, because the Hollywood version has a spoiler for the book quite early on. Above all, the film feels too rushed. Certain plot and character developments are regularly stepped over too quickly to keep the momentum in the story. ‘The Circle’ lasts less than two hours and that feels too short here. The scenario is at times a bit too predictable and sometimes crazy jumps are made to make a point clear. And it really doesn’t want to be exciting.

‘The Circle’ does look slick. The way Ponsoldt has portrayed the social media interactions with Mae here is effective (and seems only a step away from reality) and once again highlights the not uncommon futility of online and real-time interaction. The sets are also beautiful, from the mouth-watering shots of the workplace (you would want to work there) to the natural beauty in which Mae loses herself while kayaking. Nothing but praise for the cast. Tom Hanks has never been more charismatic, Emma Watson is very convincing – including her American accent, and effortlessly creates a character you’ll care about – even when she makes decisions you don’t understand. We would have liked to have seen more from Patton Oswalt (as second Circle captain Tom Stenton) and John Boyega.

However, the message in ‘The Circle’ is clear and provides food for thought and interesting conversations. The film would like to be the ultimate warning against the use of the technologies we already seem to be so dependent on. This is only partly possible, because not everything has been worked out thoroughly. See ‘The Circle’ as a contribution to the discussion and not as a turning point. The film is not successful on all points, but if the conclusion is that you actually wanted it to last longer, you can still speak of a sufficient.