The Circle 2017

     This film is based on a novel by Dave Eggers published in 2014.  Eamon Bailey is the founder of the world’s largest and most powerful tech and social media company.  Mae is very excited to start at an entry level working for this company.  She is called a 'guppy' as a new employee.  Eamon encourages her to participate in a groundbreaking experiment by the company.  It will push the boundaries of privacy, ethics and personal freedoms.  

      I didn't like anything about this movie and I don't think I have ever started a review with this sentence??  This is very much like Big Brother tech is every part of your life and personal business without you having a yes or no say about it.  They are watching everything you are doing in your life and that includes brushing your teeth to start a day!!  (1 1/2* I really didn't like this movie)  

110 min, Drama directed by James Ponsoldt with Emma Watson, Tom Hanks, John Boyega, Ellar Coltrane, Glenne Headly, Bill Paxton, Karen Gillan, Beck, Nate Corddry, Mamoudou Athie, Roger Joseph Manning Jr.

Note: The novel has 3.5* out of 5* with 3573 reviews on Amazon, Amazon 3.3* out of 5* with 99 reviews, Amazon Video 2.7* out of 5* with 335 reviews, Imdb 5.3 out of 10, Roger Ebert 1 1/2*, Metacritic 43 out of 100 with 32 critics 5 out of 10 with 130 reviews, The Guardian 2* out of 5* review by Benjamin Lee.

Special Note:  Filmed in Pasadena, Manhattan Beach, Angeles National Forest, El Camino Village, Los Angeles, Altadena, Santa Clarita, Piru, Topanga, Glendora, Filmore, California; Scotland, UK.  Bill Paxton passed away before the film’s release.  Glenne Headley died the same year after the release.  The Circle’s headquarters looks similar to Apple’s new campus Apple Park.  The logo of The Circle was created first but it is similar to the Uber redesign.  Alicia Vikander was originally offered the role of Mae but she chose to work on Jason Bourne of 2016.  In the UK, this film went straight to Netflix without being shown in a theater.