Enemy Of The State Review
Mounted with producer Jerry_Bruckheimer and director Tony_Scott's usual big budget flash, Enemy of the State (1998) is The_Conversation (1974), action blockbuster-style. Updating 1970s paranoia for the late 1990s computer/short attention span age, Enemy of the State transforms a story about an innocent man caught in a web of government conspiracy into a prolonged high tech chase through Washington D.C., complete with an eclectic cast of up-and-comers, including Jack_Black, Jamie_Kennedy and Barry_Pepper, as assorted amoral government operatives. With aerial shots and visuals mimicking sophisticated radar, Scott reveals unwitting victim Will_Smith's plight with customary flair, eschewing psychological depth in favor of relentless action. While crotchety surveillance expert Brill could be an older version of The_Conversation's Harry Caul (especially since they're both played by Gene_Hackman), the intrinsic uncertainty permeating that film (as well as The_Parallax_View (1974) and Three Days of the Condor (1975)) is transformed into a more clear-cut case of evil bureaucrats vs. the wrong man. Still, anchored by Smith's and Hackman's assured performances, Enemy of the State managed to be a notch more thought provoking than the usual Bruckheimer fare and became a respectable holiday season hit. Lucia Bozzola, Rovi
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