Cypher [a.k.a. Company Man] (2003)

The theme of ‘reality not being quite as it appears’ is a common one in film – particularly recently with films such as “The Matrix”, “Dark City”, “Vanilla Sky” and “The Thirteenth Floor” all exploring the concept. The latest film to use the theme is Vincenzo Natali’s follow-up to the excellent “Cube”.

Morgan Sullivan (Jeremy Northam) is an ordinary suburban businessman who decides to take a job working for a mysterious corporation called Digicorps. After an extensive interrogation they hire him to travel to various conventions around the USA, at each he is to record the speeches for use in corporate espionage. He is given a new identity, which he has to hide from his nagging wife. He finds his new identity liberating as it allows him to take up habits such as smoking and drinking Scotch that he didn’t previously have. As time goes on he attends more conventions – on such exciting topics as the processed cheese market – but is not given any more responsibility by Digicorps. He then meets a mysterious woman called Rita (Lucy Liu) who flies around in a miniature helicopter and informs Morgan that he is being brainwashed by Digicorps. Sullivan soon finds himself in the middle of a mysterious corporate battle between Digicorps and a rival firm. There is quite a bit more to the plot than that, but to say more would involve too many spoilers.

The plot is intriguing, unpredictable and although it has vague similarities to earlier sci-fi films, the story is different to anything that has been made before. There are also plenty of observations on the drudgery of corporate life. There are a number of plot twists (obligatory for films in this sub-genre) some of which are less predictable than others. It all ends with a satisfying ending that explains the plot well without over-explaining the detail.

Northam’s performance is the standout piece of acting in this film, showing the disorientation of his character in the confusing world he is thrown into. The other actors offer reasonable performances, although Northam’s character is the only one really given time to be developed properly. One of the best features of “Cube” was the focus on the characters as they dealt with the immense pressure of their situation. However, in “Cypher” the characters are less interesting and the film is probably not as good as a result. Although it is reasonably entertaining, it does not have the same visceral emotional impact of “Cube”.

Like Natali’s previous film “Cube” this is a visually striking piece of work. The stark emptiness of the world Sullivan finds himself in is eerily portrayed and there are a few impressive-looking special effects as well. The soundtrack is also particularly good.

In summary, a clever, well-made film that is just slightly too unengaging to be great.

Rating : 8 / 10

All content ©2003 William Marnoch.

Comments? Agree/Disagree with the Reviews? Suggestions? Random Ramblings? Whatever you might want to say, feel free to e-mail me at william@wmarnoch.freeserve.co.uk .