FIREWALL

US, 2006, 105 minutes, Colour.
Harrison Ford, Paul Bettany, Virginia Madsen, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Robert Patrick, Robert Forster, Alan Arkin, Carly Schroeder, Jimmy Bennett.
Directed by Richard Loncraine.

It’s a pity that Harrison Ford is looking so old but playing considerably younger than he is, along with a beautiful wife (Virginia Madsen) and two young children – he was 63 when he made Firewall. Still, he has some vigour, which he needs here because he is the target of a ruthless gang who take his family hostage so that he will break into the bank’s computer system and transfer $100,000,000 into their bank account. Computer fraud on the largest scale.

Ford is Jack, the security officer for a bank that is involved in a merger and this is the time that the criminals take advantage of the changes to hack in. The bank actually has quite a character actor staff to good effect: Alan Arkin as the owner, Robert Patrick in charge of the merger, Mary Lynn Rajskub as a secretary and Robert Forster as a consultor. But, in cast terms, the standout is Paul Bettany as one of the most ruthless of British criminals on the US screen (and there have been so many of them over the decades). Bettany plays elegantly spoken, but with a sense of menace that can be both charming and unforgiving.

The film builds up quite a bit of tension as to what Jack can actually do, especially since any trick he tries is almost immediately discovered. But, not the last one, which leads to a big confrontation and the inevitable happy ending which, given the suspense during the process of stealing the money, seems more than a little rushed and twee.

Film buffs will be recalling how these stories have been used before, like the Desperate Hours for a family held in their home by a gang and Swordfish where John Travolta brought in Hugh Jackman to do the same kind of hacking.

Firewall is an entertainment, no more, no less.

1.A popular thriller, Harrison Ford vehicle? The work of banking, technology, computer world?

2.The Seattle settings, the bank, homes, the environment, the continual rain until the end, outside Seattle? The atmospheric score?

3.The screenplay and the duration of the action over a few days? Days and nights?

4.The credibility of the plot: banks and their management, accounts and details, privacy and secrecy, technology? Mergers? The role of the staff? Security and surveillance? Ingenuity for protecting the bank’s money? The plausibility of computer fraud and the robbing of banks?

5.The credits and the surveillance sequences of the family, their ordinary life? Their being spied on? Cox and his plan and his using of Jack and the family?

6.Harrison Ford as Jack, at home, his relationship with his children, Andy and his allergy, Sarah and her absorption in the Ipod? The TV on so much of the time? Beth and her managing the household, busy? His attitudes? Leaving for work? Returning to the house, finding his family as hostages? The continuing of life at home with the captors? Action in the kitchen, watching television, sleeping, his work in his office? The action in the duct as the family tried to escape, the garage? The nature of the home, designed by Beth? Affluently real? A location for this kind of action?

7.Jack and his work, his status at the bank, twenty years, in charge of security? His working with Janet and her devotion to him? His meeting with Gary Mitchell, the antagonism? Arlin Forester and the management of the bank? The discussion about the merger? His rudeness? His issues? His friendship with Harry and their discussions, Harry introducing Cox? The officer coming with concern about the ninety-five thousand dollars gambling debt? People overhearing this? Cox and the discussion with Jack? An ordinary day with its ordinary difficulties?

8.Going to the car, finding Cox in the car, in control? Cox, smooth style, age and experience, the abduction, the pressure in the home, Jack lying about the gun and Cox’s violence? The presence of his team? The potential brutality, deadly? Cox and his having no feelings? His continued references to ‘my money’? His men, the threats? His treatment of his own men, the driver and his surveillance of Jack, his making the mistake – and Cox killing him? The later confrontation with the men and his killing of the more sympathetic gang member?

9.Jack and his going to work, under pressure, snarling at Janet, his trick with the camera and putting the pen in Janet’s pocket? His attempt to do something with the computers? Cox’s arrival and control? Jack taking him on the tour of the bank, the plan? The new situation because of the merger, the urgency? Jack at home, the ultimatum? Andy and his responding to the cookie, the nuts allergy, the reaction, trying to get the equipment, Cox and his control, his using this as a threat? Jack arranging the plan for the escape, going through the duct, the men chasing them, capturing them in the car? Their return? Jack and his trying to think of a solution, the equipment, his daughter’s machine? The unit and the setting up of the way of deleting the accounts after transferring them? Going to the office, firing Janet at Cox’s behest? The discussions with Bobby, threatening, using his terminal? Gary Mitchell and his suspicions, pursuing Jack around the bank? Going to the archives, eliminating the records of the surveillance tapes? Getting in the car and getting away free?

10.The office, Gary Mitchell and his concern? Arlin and the discussions, the merger, Jack’s promise, apology to Gary? Janet and Bobby, their relationship, Bobby’s born again status, Janet not encouraging him? Jack using them both in the crisis?

11.Jack and his eluding Cox, the family, confronting Liam and his death? Going to Harry’s apartment, seeing Cox kill him? Going to Janet, using her phone? Using her car? His going to the bus station, going to the bank, getting the terminal, cancelling the transfers? The apology of the bank attendant for calling the police? The phone call, hearing the dog barking? The realisation that he had a tracking collar? Janet and Jack pursuing in the car? The irony of the family getting out, the dog being thrown out? And their being no rain outside Seattle?

12.The build-up the confrontation? Cox and his gang, his having killed the driver for making the mistake, Liam and his death, the more sympathetic robber and his being killed? Jack and the confrontation with the remaining thief? The pursuit of Cox? Their fight, Cox’s death?

13.The happy ending – brought about rather more quickly than dramatically successfully? On the whole, a satisfying popular thriller?