DISCONNECT
US, 2012, 115 minutes, Colour.
Jason Bateman, Hope Davis, Frank Grillo, Michael Niqvist, Paula Patton, Andrea Riseborough, Alexander Skarsgaard, Max Thieriot, Colin Ford, Jonah Bobo.
Directed by Henry Alex Rubin.
Disconnect does not seem a likely title for a film. However, there it is, and an interesting film to see and think about.
Disconnect is the word that could describe many of the relationships in the film, fathers and sons, husbands and wives, students in school. It could be also interpreted as something of a command, that users of the Internet need to disconnect at times, and that they can be led into difficult and dangerous situations.
The film consists of three stories, not particularly connected except by the theme of the Internet.
The first story concerns an ambitious journalist, Nina (Andrea Riseborough) who becomes interested in sex chat rooms, choosing one young man, Kyle (Max Thieriot), engaging in conversation with him and then tracking him down to ask him would he do a television interview about his life and work. Eventually he agrees and the interview goes ahead. The consequences for the journalist are that she is successful as is her program. The consequences for him is to think about his future and moving on from his sex activities. Complications arise when the young man becomes dependent on the journalist, disturbing her way of life, challenging her to help him. And the FBI becomes interested because of the activities, exploitation, and use of underage models.
It should be said that one of the strengths of the film is that none of the three stories has easy endings, leading to the audience reflecting on the open ended directions of the stories.
The second story concerns identity fraud. a middle-aged couple, Derek (Alexander Skarsgaard) and Cindy (Paula Patton) are grieving at the death of the little child which has led to some alienation between the couple, he a former marine caught up in his work and travel, with a touch of gambling, she left alone at home and resorting to chat rooms for sympathetic and heartfelt revelations about her life. This time, someone uses information from the chat rooms to empty their bank accounts. The police are swamped and have little time for so many of these identity theft cases. The couple hire a private detective who is able to help them, who even tracks down a connection (Michael Niqvist) and they stalk and harass him. It becomes more complicated than they thought, and have to decide whether to pursue the case or accept their losses – but with the opportunity of finding the relationship between them again. (All the chat room conversations are preserved, can be printed out and read – and they are.)
The third story is quite harrowing. Ben (Jonah Bobo) is an extremely introverted young student at school, with a love of music, feeling alienated at home, especially for his from his strict father (Jason Bateman in a serious role). Two young boys ridicule him and decide to text him, pretending to be Jessica, a student at school – with Ben responding very positively, but becoming involved as the boys send explicitly nude photos, the two cyber bullies enjoying their tormenting Ben but never realising that it would lead to his attempted suicide. In the aftermath, one of the boys whose mother has died and whose strict father has brought him up, continues texting with Ben’s father, ultimately leading to a violent confrontation.
While the three stories may be familiar enough, it is the writing and the strong performances which bring them to life and are a challenge to the audience.
A cautionary tale concerning the Internet.
1. A topical subject? The Internet? Bullying? Crime?
2. American story, universal? The American town, homes, school, hospital, situations? The musical score?
3. The title, the links between people being disconnected? Or a command that they ought to disconnect from being online?
4. Three stories, their interconnection? The link with the father and his legal consultation for the television program?
5. Nina’s story: journalist, at home, on the Internet, choosing Kyle, his appearing in the chat room, their talk? His offers? Issues of payment? The suggestion of the interview, the idea of the television, pitching it to the bosses, contacting Kyle, meeting with him, the discussions, the story of his life, wanting to do his job, his choices? Nina and her emphasis on the future? Kyle thinking it over? Doing the interview, the frank talk, his voice and image disguised? The popularity of the program? The offer of the repeat in a better program? Nina happy, the celebration, Kyle’s arrival, her taking him home, their discussions, the issue of sexual encounter? The FBI interviewing Nina? Nina and the effect, her being suspended, the crimes because of the underage models? Kyle and his liking his boss, scenes with the kids, their discussions, the young boy coming in and agreeing to pose? The sudden decision to move, packing, Nina wanting the address, the FBI, her driving down, the FBI plan, the group gone before they could swoop? Nina and the final discussion on Kyle, his going? The issue of this kind of website?
6. Derek and Cindy: the marriage, the child and its death, looking at the images of home movies? Derek as a former marine, his experiences, at home, his desk job, seeing him at work? Cindy, feeling the distance, going to the chat room, the texting (and the texts available forever)? Derek and his gambling, the credit card, all the money gone, asking the police for an investigation, the police being too busy? The frequency of identity theft? Getting the private detective, his investigations, finding a suspect? Derek reading his wife’s conversation in the chat room, the effect? The suspect, watching him, going to the dry cleaners, at his house, stalking him, getting the gun, the man with the gun, the confrontation, the fight? Cindy watching, a reconciliation? The man stalked also being a victim of fraud? What future?
7. Ben, the nerd, his look, alone, loving music? Jason and Fry, the age, experience, Jason and his dead mother, his father giving up his job as a policeman, working, trying to bring up his son? Fry as a friend, with an ordinary family? Their watching Ben, laughing, the decision, inventing Jessica, the texting, watching Ben in the cafeteria? Creating the scenario? Gauging him, sending the sexy picture, the interchange, Ben and his photographing himself, sending it? Everybody in the school knowing? Ben and his decision to hang himself, his being saved by his sister, in hospital, in the coma?
8. Ben at home, his relationship with his mother and father, sister? The mother and her care? The father and his distance? An awkward young man, the hanging, his sister saving him? The shock, his father’s reaction, called, practising the law? Going to hospital, not coping, not being able to stay with his son? The mother and the urgency, urging her husband to stay? His decision to search, Michael coming to the hospital, talking, communicating by text, Michael and lies? Jason and his covering by wanting to talk with Ben’s father but calling himself Michael? The discovery in the photo album that Michael was Jason, going to the house, fighting with Jason’s father? Jason and his grief?
9. Jason and Fry, at home, the shock, their excuses, Jason communicating with Ben’s father, his own father and the tense relationship, and the text of all this with Jason’s father able to read it? His decision to delete it?
10. Common Internet stories with no easy answers?
