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Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Closed Circuit (2013) in Movies

Aug 6, 2019

Closed Circuit (2013)

2013 | Mystery

5.0

(1 Ratings)

Movie Rating

oday, we’re going to bring you something a little different from ‘across the pond’ in the form of the latest crime-thriller from

the United Kingdom ‘Closed Circuit’.

Directed by John Crowley, ‘Closed Circuit’ tells the story of a fictional terrorist attack on the city of London and it’s aftermath.

Staring Eric Bana, Rebecca Hall, Julia Stiles, Ciaran Hinds, and Jim Broadbent. ‘Closed Circuit’ follows two lawyers (Bana and Hall)

as they individually attempt to prepare the defense of their client, the lone suspect apprehended in the aftermath of the attack on a London market,

in most high profile criminal case in british history, They quickly learn though that all is not as it appears. As they discover they are being shadowed,

their every move monitored, and their pasts scrutinized, it soon becomes clear that no matter what the outcome of the trial is, it might not be

just their reputations that are on the line.

The movie is a fictional example of what unfortunately, has become almost commonplace in today’s world.

Terrorist attacks, manhunts, expanded surveillance, and it makes you ask yourself, Who is the biggest threat to us? Our enemies? Or those we trust

to defend us from our enemies?

‘Closed Circuit’ was well filmed and is cast be top-notch actors. However, once the movie gets past the very beginning it drags on for a while and has little

dialogue. Every line by the actors in the movie implies others hidden within others and is hard to follow sometimes unless you’re a conspiracy theorist.

I’d give the film 2 and a half out of 5 stars. It’s a good flick, don’t get me wrong. But it’s kind of a downer. Not exactly, an ‘escape’ from the summer heat.

Put it in in your queue for NetFilx.

Kudos

Kristy H (1252 KP) rated The Secrets They Left Behind in Books

Apr 23, 2020

At first I was disappointed this was not one of Redmond's excellent Cold Case novels featuring detective Lauren Riley, whom I love, but that disappointment was short lived. I quickly took to Shea O'Connor, a young but feisty and enjoyable officer who will stop at nothing to solve her case. We realize that Shea clearly had a close call with a serial killer the last time she was undercover and she's still recovering from those wounds. Our girl is hurting, but she's also focused--Shea will do anything to find those girls.

Shea is in a tough spot. She's a young, female officer in a male-dominated profession, and she's often mistaken for a teen. However, her youthful appearance pays off undercover. But is the FBI using her? There's more than a simple mystery to solve here, as we must unravel if Shea can trust those around her.

The central mystery itself, of the girls' disappearance, is engaging and fascinating. I had a fairly good inkling early on who might be involved, but it didn't stop my interest, and I flew through the book. There are, of course, plenty of dirty secrets in Kelly's Falls--as in most small towns--and Shea digs up plenty of them. There's also an interesting angle where she becomes close with one of the missing girl's brother. Shea excels at immersing herself in her undercover role, and it was fun to see her play the young, naive college student (with a knife hidden in her back pocket).

The writing is a little simplistic at times, but overall this is a compelling thriller with an engaging protagonist. 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4 here. I'd love to see another book featuring Shea.