Hey folks, Harry here with a look from 69 Sniper of CYPHER, the second film from Vincenzo Natali.... I saw this one last October in Spain, and liked it. I greatly prefer THE BOURNE IDENTITY, but there are aspects of this flick that are just wonderful. Especially everything coming from Jeremy Northam, who is really cool in the film. Enough of me though, here's 69 Sniper...

Hi Harry and Moriarty,

Been reading the site since 98, love the reviews and all the rest of it, you do a great job and thanks for always giving me something to read with my time at work! Went to a preview screening of Cypher on Thursday night in Soho, London though please don't mention this, I only brought it up so you can verify it if you need to, it was at a Private screening held by Empire film magazine in D'arblay street. I knew relatively little about the film other than it starred Jeremy Northam, Lucy Liu and was directed by the "The Cube" helmer, Vincenzo Natali.

I have "The Cube" but it was a few years ago and I don't remember it too well. I can remember I thought it was an okay movie but some of my buddies quite liked and it was certainly quite original. But anyway, on to Cypher, the film that Natali hopes will introduce him into the mainstream.

Cypher opens well but never really lives up to the promise or the originality it seems to offer, rather, its a mish-mash of other ideas which have been dealt with better in previous movies.

I guess the best way to describe is as a Memento-esque tale set in the hi-tech world of corporate espionage. It's difficult to describe too much of the story without totally ruining it (which after the first hour steams straight into cliche-central). It starts with the nerdy looking Morgan "Mr Suburbia" Sullivan applying for a job with a large technological corporation who want to use him as a spy to gain the inside info on other companies technology. Eager to impress, Sullivan cannot understand why he is sent to conventions just to copy and transmit speakers at various conventions dealing with all kinds of dull and pointless topics like shaving foam and mortgage rates, nothing that would be of interest to anybody.

Sullivan is asked to take on a different personna for these conventions and enjoys the thrill of it all even making up his personalities new vices (becoming a cigarette smoking, single malt whiskey drinking ladies man). It is in a bar at one of these conventions we are introduced to Lucy Liu as Rita, a noir-ish femme fatale that only seems to add even more mystery to his new role as spy and aware of the terrible headaches he has been getting since he started his new role.

It is here the story really begins with Sullivan, with Lucy Liu as his guide (think Trinity to Neo in the start of the Matrix) realising he is nothing more than a pawn in the deadly and deceptive world of corporate espionage as he gets used and screwed over by the different factions in play, determined to survive, understand whats happening and turn the tables on the people who are using him to their advantage.

Sounds kinda exciting huh? But its not. The film threatens on several occasions to really take off but never really does and while their are some nice touches, it never rises above the mediocre and finishing with the most bland and predictable ending that you can see a mile off. As I said, its difficult to explain more without ruining the movie itself but heres a quick run down of the things that worked and the things that didn't.

Good:

Homages to Clockwork Orange and North by Northwest were cool

Jeremy Northam - this guy was brilliant, he's sure to do well after this role and plays the part brilliantly.

The Visuals - brilliantly and hauntingly shot - at times Northam seems so isolated even in a busy room, fantastic cinematography.

The Chopper - don't know what it was called but hell thats some badass helicopter!

Bad:

The plot - tries to be too clever and ends up being dull and condescending, its just too obvious how its all gonna finish.

Lucy Liu - criminally underused. For such a talented actress she doesn't get much to work with which is a shame as she and Northam work well together when they get a chance.

The ending, as I said, cliche, cliche, cliche......sailing off into the sunset really lets the film down when sooo much more of it could have been made!

Overall, not a bad movie but not an overly impressive one either. The potential is there to become another cult hit like the Cube but its nowhere near as strong or original and I can't see it exactly setting the box office alight but who knows.

Keep up the good work at AICN guys, if you decide to use this piece then call me 69 Sniper.

Thanks a lot.