KIMI

US, 2022, 89 minutes, Colour.

Zoe Kravitz, Byron Bowers, Devon Rattray, Rita Wilson, Erica Christensen.

Directed by Steven Soderberg.

This reviewer suddenly discovered Kimi on a streaming service and began to watch it without checking any of its background or any of its credits. It came as something of a shock, even more than a shock, to discover that the film had been directed by Steven Soderberg and that the screenplay had been written by veteran David Koepp (Jurassic Park, Mission Impossible amongst many others).

There are references to covid 19 in the screenplay. The central character often wears a mask as do other characters. This is a film made in pandemic times, small budget, generally small locations, a small cast – but amplified by some outdoor sequences.

The film opens with something of an air of mystery, an expert on IT and computer communication developments experiencing extortion. There are some moments throughout the film where there is further extortion – and, while the film ends with some explanation of this and how it affects the central character, it is treated very, very briefly.

The focus is on a young woman, Angela (played by Zoe Kravitz, Serena in The Batman). We see her interacting with the computer voice, Kimi, controlling all the operations and the apartment. Angela is gaunt, has blue hair, lives alone – although, echoes of Rear Window, she looks out of her apartment, especially to the businessman in the apartment across the street. We also notice a man in the upper window looking out at her – and he becomes integral in the final climax of the film.

Angela seems to be rather agoraphobic, even backing out of a rendezvous with the man across the street at the sandwich truck below. When he does visit, there is an aggressive sexual encounter.

The key to the film, some memories of Coppola’s The Conversation, is that Angela in her work of finding solutions to errors in computer voice answers to questions, comes across an aggressive episode, sexual assault, which she wants to report to the authorities. Her bosses demand that she does not. However, even venturing out of the apartment, she goes to an appointment with one of the authorities (played by Rita Wilson). She discusses but is unsatisfied. She is detained. Then she is pursued, abducted into a van, but street protesters rescuing her. She escapes home.

In the meantime, we are shown supervisors at their screens, not exactly explained, one might say touches of the Kafkaesque (and Soderberg did direct the film, Kafka).

There is a final confrontation, Angela using her wits, an expose of the conspiracy behind the action. Kimi is a brief film, interesting because of its writer and Director, but at times seems too enigmatic.

1. The title? The focus on developed technology, voice commands, fulfilment of orders? Kimi as the voice and obeying commands?
2. A film made during lockdown, the atmosphere of covid 19, rather empty streets, people wearing masks? Small budget, smaller locations, smaller cast? Seattle?
3. The opening with the interview of the expert, his family, the pressure on him, payments? This recurring during the film? The end, the pressure on him? The quick revelation of the conspiracy?
4. The introduction to Angela, immediate reaction, her age, gaunt, tense, the blue hair? Her apartment, interactions with Kimi? Nervy, the building repairs and her demands for silence? Her work, listening to the recorded voices, answers to questions, mistakes in grammar and vocabulary, her correcting them?
5. Looking out the window, seeing Kevin, the man across the street, the continued texting, the rendezvous, her delay in getting ready, not going out, agoraphobic? His leaving? Later texting, his coming across, the aggressive sexual activity? Later texting him, the crisis, his coming with the flowers? And the finale, the going out, meeting him at the sandwich trailer?
6. Her work, hearing the sound of the attack? The later revelation that she had been sexually attacked and the effect? The phone calls from her mother, concerned?
7. Ringing the official, making the appointment, venturing out, the discussions with the official, seeming reasonable, yet not calling the FBI, the official leaving, the delay, the texting, information about the deleting of the information? Her fears, decision to run, the men in pursuit, the corridors and staircases, out into the crowd, abducted into the van, knocking the door open, the protesters releasing her, her going home?
8. The technology background, Angela contacting her boss, the girls fighting in the background, his forbidding her to give the information? Her copy it onto the USB stick? The contact in Romania, his getting her the material? The audience seeing the surveillance of screens, the authorities, suspicious, the thugs?
9. The final confrontation, Kevin and his attempt to help, the threats, torture, Angela escaping, locking the door, commanding Kimi to turn out the lights…, going to the roof, getting the nail gun, her attack, killing the assailants, helping Kevin, ringing the police? And the man across the street arriving with the flowers?
10. The glimpse of the solution and the arrest of the initial official?
11. Angela, touch of romance, back to ordinariness?