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Morgan Sullivan is hired by Digicore Systems to spy on its competitors. However, it becomes clear that his mission is not as simple as first seemed. He finds himself in great danger, with very little idea what exactly his employers are doing, or even whether he can trust them.
Morgan Sullivan, played by Jeremy Northam, is being interviewed for a job at Digicore. He is to spy on other companies, and report back his findings. Morgan is quiet, shy and dull. However when he is told to take on a new identity, that of Jack Thursby, he is told that Jack is "whoever you want him to be". Morgan decides that being Jack Thursby might be a little more fun than being Morgan Sullivan.
Jack's first assignment takes him to Buffalo. His mission is to record a range of extremely boring presentations, starting with a riveting talk on Shaving Cream Distribution Outlets in North American Markets. However, while the talks are considerably less exciting than a spy might expect, he finds excitement in his new found freedom, as Jack. As his confidence increases, he even tries chatting up the attractive lady at the bar, who he spotted previously at their hotel. She is a Health Inspector named Rita foster, played by Lucy Liu.
The early stages of this film are presented with very little colour. Almost everything is black and white, matching Morgan's dull and uninteresting life. However, when Jack flies off for his second mission, he orders a scotch on the rocks. As the brightly coloured liquor spills over the sparkling ice cubes, colour washes into the screen, as Morgan becomes the more charismatic Jack.
In Omaha, Jack again spots Rita in his hotel, and follows her up to the roof of the hotel. Here he quickly discovers she is not the Health Inspector she claimed, as he is questioned at gunpoint. She tells him not to turn on the recording device for his next mission, and that Digicore will kill him if he tells them he has met her. Flying back from his mission, having not recorded the presentations and having sent Digicore a blank recording, he receives a call from Digicore, telling him that the recording he sent was fine.
Cypher is a very stylish film. The look and feel have clearly carefully be considered and controlled, from the slick black and white opening credits and throughout the film. some of the special effects are a little bit less than viewers have come to expect from big Hollywood blockbusters, but in many ways this only adds to the old fashioned, classic spy movie feel that Cypher has.
The early parts of Cypher superbly set the scene. We know that all is not what it seems, and we are drawn in, wanting to know what is going on. What is it that Jack Thursby is doing for Digicore? Who is Rita? What does she want, and who does she work for? As the films progresses, the mystery deepens. More details are constantly being revealed, but this just serves to confuse and intrigue us more. The more we learn, the more we are baffled, and the more we want to know the full story.
Jeremy Northam does a good job in the lead role. He plays the excessively dull Morgan very well, and he does a fantastic job of slowly animating the character as he spends more time as Jack. However, as the films draws to a close, sadly Northam's performance isn't quite so good. Lucy Liu isn't really stretched in the film, but she puts in a more than adequate performance, and her attire and style bring a welcoming contrast to the world of suits in which the film lives.
While the misinformation and confusion is what makes this film so interesting, it does make the film a little too difficult to follow at times. It is very hard to take in all the information, and to follow all the twists and turns, as you try to follow who knows what, and who is telling the truth. Some viewers will simply find the film too confusing, and will become irritated with it. However, those that enjoy the mystery, will, the minute the film has finished, put the movie straight back to the beginning and watch it again, to try to get a better handle the film.
Cypher is an excellent old fashioned Spy movie. It is not full of action and James Bond like chase scenes. It is a much more intelligent and intriguing movie. The viewer is slowly drawn in, experiencing the confusion and disorientation that Morgan feels, as we try to work out what he is entangled in. Only Northam's lack of flexibility and the slight excess of confusion stop it being an even better film.
Mark: 7/10
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