The Circle

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The trailers for The Circle showed what looked like a thriller about a woman named Mae (played by Emma Watson) who lands a job at a giant social media company, and begins to wonder what exactly is and isn’t ethical because the head of the company (played by Tom Hanks) seems like he is trying to take privacy away. Honestly, the description of the trailer is far more interesting than the movie itself. The movie is more about a woman, who is hired into a giant social media company and is trying to figure out the ins and outs. Along the way, she builds something that seems to resemble a romance with a guy named Ty (played by John Boyega) and an unrequited love from Mercer (played by Ellar Coltrane). The pacing of the movie is pretty monotonous. A half hour of the movie feels twice as long. The social media aspect isn’t all that interesting. What I kind of wish this movie did more is focus on Mae’s relationship with her parents (played by Bill Paxton and Glenne Headley in their final film roles). That’s some of the best drama that the movie actually offers. The biggest problem I feel that this movie suffers from is Emma Watson herself in the lead role. Emma Watson is a good actress. She just really seems like she’s struggling throughout the movie (something I noticed pretty much right out of the gate). This is all the more evident when she acts opposite other people, in particular her parents and Tom Hanks (when he decides he wants a paycheck). I don’t want to sound like I’m bashing Tom Hanks. I’m not. Tom Hanks is one of the very few actors out there I’m not sure can even remotely deliver a bad performance.  The problem with the attempts at the romance (and possible love triangle) is that Watson doesn’t have much chemistry with either actor, both of whom are trying a lot harder and doing a lot better than Watson herself. The Circle has a strong supporting cast, but it’s let down by a boring plot, dull pacing, and weak lead performance.

4 / 10