This flick tells the story of Vincent and Anton Zaleski, who attempt to make millions by building a fibre-optic cable which travels 1,000-miles through an underground tunnel across the United States and would revolutionise the stock market.
At first glance, this seems like the sort of film which would bore you to tears: no action, little to no romance and no secret identities revealed at the final hour. However, what the film lacks in raw fighting power it makes up for with excellent pacing, stellar acting and an intriguing series of events.
Lead actors Jesse Eisenberg and Alexander Skarsgard did a spectacular job of capturing our attention and made the audience root for them through the struggles of their project. While the characters had some fatal flaws and were not always the most likeable, their raw determination and comradeship made them easy to side with. I never thought I would find myself cheering for a man hunched over a computer crunching code, but trust me it was as interesting as any All Blacks game I have been forced to sit through.
The film’s soundtrack was a real bonus, as while there was no action or conflict other than some minimally raised voices and the occasional curse word, the rock and roll vibe of the music helped to liven up some of the slower sequences.
The movie had a very interesting conclusion. Spoiler Warning (in case that wasn’t already clear), despite their best efforts and great personal sacrifices the pair’s fibre line ends up being thwarted before its conclusion. In the end, neither of them got exactly what they were looking for, as another company swooped in and completely overshot their efforts. While in many ways this was disappointing, as I was really rooting for the characters, there was some part of me that was pleased. The two had sacrificed their health and their families for this project, and it was proving to be too for either of them to endure. Seeing them reach rock bottom and then help each other back to their feet was touching, and the best ending to the film that I could have hoped for.
Ultimately, this film was a good watch. It was nothing spectacular, nor was it something that many people are chomping at the bit to see. However, it was entertaining, charming and an all-around feel-good film which held my attention and even surprised me at times.
