Surveillance (2008)

User Rating:

6.5/10   

Director:

Jennifer Chambers Lynch

Writers:

Kent Harper (writer)
Jennifer Chambers Lynch (writer)

Release Date:

17 July 2008 (Portugal)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Plot:

An FBI agent tracks a serial killer with the help of three of his would-be victims - all of whom have wildly different stories to tell.

Plot Keywords:

FBI Agent | Serial Killer | Female Agent | Murder | Hyperrealism

Awards:

3 wins

Cast

Caroline Aaron	...	Janet
Hugh Dillon	...	Dad
David Gane	...	Grocery Man
Gill Gayle	...	Officer Degrasso
Kent Harper	...	Officer Jack Bennett
Michael Ironside	...	Captain Billings
Pell James	...	Bobbi Prescott
Daryl Haney	...	Drug Dealer (as D.R. Haney)
Shannon Jardine	...	Elaine Meyer
Angela Lamarsh	...	Maid
Gerald Lenton-Young	...	Coroner
Jennifer Miles	...	TV Reporter
Mac Miller	...	Johnny
Charlie Newmark	...	Officer Wright
Julia Ormond	...	Elizabeth Anderson

Also Known As:

Unter Kontrolle (Germany)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong bloody violence, pervasive language, some drug use and a scene of aberrant sexuality.

Runtime:

97 min

Country:

USA | Germany

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

UK:18 | Ireland:16 | Finland:K-15 | Netherlands:16 | USA:R | Argentina:16 | Australia:R | Germany:18 | New Zealand:R18 | Mexico:B15 | France:-12 (with warning)

Filming Locations:

Canada Saskatchewan Production Studios, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada

Company:

Lago Film

Trivia:

Director Jennifer Chambers Lynch's first film in 15 years.

Goofs:

Continuity: After the multi-car pileup, One officer shots the dead driver in the face, causing the front of his skull to explode and allowing his partner to fall through the destroyed windshield. But when his partner does his comic line about ruining his day and injuring his hand, the driver's face is again intact.

Quotes:

Sam Hallaway: There's only one way to unfold a note, so to speak, without tearing the paper.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Surveillance: The Watched Are Watching (2009) (V)

Simply Brutal

Surveillance proved to be highly entertaining from beginning to end. A clever blend of dark comedy, crime thriller, and a slight dash of horror. I was a little surprised by the choice in cast as several well known comedic actors appear in serious roles. What surprised me more is how well they did portraying their characters. For me the characters hold equal credit (as the story) in the entertainment displayed in this film. My only complaint would be the sheer confusion in the story for the first quarter of this film. Of course everything begins to come together but a little more clarity as to what exactly everyone was discussing would have been nice. A minor complaint for an otherwise brilliant movie.