Great Film: Enemy of the State
Crackerjack Thriller with a message...
Why? Well for starters there is the best chase sequence since The French
Connection. Then there is Will Smith as an actor - not just a star,
though
later in the movie he is admittedly overshadowed by veteran Gene
Hackman.
There are two layers to this movie: On the surface is a pacy thriller
with
edge-of-the-seat chases but underneath lies a telling commentary on
government surveillance. It is one of those truth-in-fiction stories
which
makes its point about government intrusion into privacy dramatically and
effectively.
There are references to the classic, The Conversation: The surveilled
couple
talking in the park, and the Hackman character's premises are an obvious
recreation of his workshop in the earlier movie. If you haven't yet seen
The Conversation - see it before you see this one - you will understand
the
Hackman character a lot better (besides, it is a superb movie in its own
right).
Oh, and Jon Voight is terrific as the bad guy...
Cast
- Pratt played by Barry Pepper
- Jones played by Scott Caan
- Robert Clayton Dean played by Will Smith
- Reynolds played by Jon Voight
- Brill played by Gabriel Byrne
- Rachel Banks played by Lisa Bonet
- Carla Dean played by Regina King
