WHO AM I - KEIN SYSTEM IST SICHER

Germany, 2014, 103 minutes, Colour.
Tom Schilling, Elyas M'Barek, Wotan Wilke Mohring, Antoine Monot Jr, Trine Dyrholm.
Directed by Baran bo Odar.

WHO AM I (on screen and thematically correct as WHOAMI) is a contemporary German film, an interpretation of the phenomenon of hacking in the 21st century. It has been made by film-makers in their 20s and 30s, produced for that age group and its response, especially knowledge of Internet technology and hacking skills, a thriller for a technological age.

The film as well and persuasively made, carrying the audience along with its characters and plot, with the addition of a constant throbbing beat score.

The film opens dramatically with the central character, Benjamin (Tom Schilling) discovering his friends dead and his giving himself up to the government and submitting to an interrogation. This is conducted by Hannah, a government official, played by the Danish actress Trine Dyrhom. Benjamin seems something of a pathetic young man, bowed and somewhat distraught as he begins to answer the questions. What has happened to him is presented in vivid flashbacks.

Benjamin was considered invisible when he was at school, thought of as a freak, which meant that he spent a lot of his time in his room, a computer-nerd, but developing skills for hacking, which are tested when he infiltrates the University exam site on behalf of Marie, whom he has always liked, but has ignored him.

He also explains how he came into contact with three men, also skilled in computer technology, who are impressed by his work and taking him on as part of their team. They are particularly interested in an anonymous virtual person, MRX, who is visualised in a virtual room, masked, with his dialogue printed out in box form. The group try some hacking and Benjamin is successful, wanting to prove himself to his friends, and adopting some of their lifestyle, drinking and the use of cocaine.

When they become more adventurous, they decide to go physically into a government building, penetrate its technology rooms and files and steal information. Benjamin stays back and discovers more information which he does not tell the others about. There are all kinds of repercussions when a hacker is murdered in the woods and is revealed as a government agent. Then Russian government is involved, perhaps MRX being an agent for them.

Benjamin becomes even more daring, infiltrating buildings in The Hague while the conference is going on, only to return back to the apartment which we saw at the beginning with his friends murdered.

At this stage of a review, the reviewer can only say that there are quite a number of twists in the final part of the film, giving more depth to the title of the film, playing with the character of Benjamin and what is going on in his mind and the response to him by his interrogator.

Younger audiences will probably relish this thriller and its dramatisation of hacking. A similar film, Blackhat, directed by Michael Mann, did not have the good reviews expected nor the distribution expected, it being considered, perhaps, too intricate and involved for mainstream audiences. This may be the case with Who Am I, but it is fast-paced and intriguing.

1. The title, WHOAMI, hackers and hacking, secrecy, identities and codenames? The twists on the meaning of Who Am I?


2. The Berlin setting, the city, the views, homes, the University, the streets, clubs? The throbbing beat score?

3. Issues of hacking in the 20th century, 21st century, the sophistication of the hackers, young in age, knowledge of computers, their skills, targets, issues of privacy, hacking into government sites, international?

4. Codenames, the meanings, for individuals, for groups, the teams?

5. Benjamin, young, the opening and his finding his dead colleagues, surrendering to the government? The interrogation, his story? The insertion of the flashbacks?

6. Hanna, in charge of the interrogation, her attitude, listening, the questions, her own situation, the authorities, wanting to suspend her, the need for her to resolve the situation, maintain her job? Working with her colleagues?

7. Benjamin and his story, as a young boy, his mother and her illness, his saying he was invisible, thought of as a freak? His attitude towards Marie, her not noticing him? At home, his room, his computer, hacking, his name, the supervising doctor him? Marie and her request, his hacking successfully the exam questions? Talking with Marie, her boyfriend and his clashing and attacks?

8. The encounter with Max, Max as a type? Paul and Stephen and their particular skills? As a team, Benjamin wanting to prove himself? The character of MRX, the character appearing in virtual rooms, masked face, images, captioned dialogue?

9. Benjamin’s life, with his friends, the drinking, the cocaine, the effect? Benjamin still wanting to prove himself to himself, to Marie?

10. The hacking, the success, the admiration of his friends?

11. Going online, MRX, the reported death of Krypton? The international repercussions?

12. The mystery, the decision to go into the government offices, the masks, the ability to get inside, codes and doors, downloading the material? Benjamin staying back, noticing more information, the memory stick? The repercussions, especially internationally, with Russia, governments, and MRX?

13. The information about Russia, the scenes in the virtual rooms?

14. The visit to The Hague, international issues, Benjamin and his getting into the building, saying that he had lost his wallet, persuading the guard, setting up the connection under the table?

15. Finding his colleagues dead, his reaction?

16. The interview with Hannah, his admitting a lot of the truth? His hacking and finding the young man in New York City as MRX? True or Benjamin setting him up?

17. Hannah and her solving the case, willing to let him go? His request for witness protection? His mental state, the interview with the doctor about the issues of schizophrenia, multiple personality, his mother, his saying he did not want to be like his mother?

18. The symbolism of the picture, the mirror and its reflecting Benjamin’s back rather than his face?

19. His being let go, on the boat, dyeing his hair, with his three friends, alive, with Marie?

20. His setting up the fictitious story and all of them escaping? How real? How much in his mind?