PARANOIA  2.3****

 

 “Paranoia”  (an awful title as the term really has nothing to do with the story) is a techno want-a-be thriller starring Liam Hemsworth and Amber Heard together with Gary Oldman and Harrison Ford.

 

I bet dollars to doughnuts that most of you have not heard about this  film, even with its star packed cast. Well August is often considered a death slot for a  movie for the summer season. This is often where studios send movies that they have little faith in to die. Studios will, with rare exceptions,  spend less time and money doing any marketing for movies being released in August, and if a film happens to do well, it’s an unexpected blessing to them more than anything else.

Why do I tell you all this? Because it's clear to me this is how the studio felt about this movie. Nearly every twist and turn is telegraphed a mile away by anyone paying the closest bit of attention. Because of that moments that should have had  you wondering what will happen next, well  you usually already have the answer. Ultimately the movies greatest sin is lack of a cohesive story and a likable lead character. That isn't to say this is a bad movie. It just could have been so much better.  The film has the benefit of a relatively strong and motivated cast and it’s a testament to these actors natural ability that they could do as well as they did with so little to work with.

 

Liam Hemsworth (Thors little brother, yes he is as cute) plays Adam Cassidy a young technician for a multimillion dollar cellular company. He is up to his eyes in bills paying for his sick father (Richard Dreyfuss). He is offered the proverbial golden goose by his boss played by the eternally awesome Gary Oldman; who per usual puts all his passion, his accents and his ability to blend into any role he has. . All Adam has to do for his boss is fake being a successful executive in a rival company so he can steal valuable trade secrets from them. The owner of the other company is played by an oddly almost bald Harrison Ford who does a fairly good job of going toe to toe with Oldman in the acting department. . The supporting cast is surprisingly talented and believable in their roles. Amber Heard as the love interest and Lucas Till as the geekier best friend are standouts.

 

Save your money and wait for this to show up on TV.

 

Clark