Rating of
2.5/4
A pretty good mystery
The M.O.W. - wrote on 08/03/08
"Angela" (Sandra Bullock) is a computer geek. She works and plays with computers on a daily basis.
One day, she comes across a computer program that proves the recent suicide of a high ranking official (Ken Howard) in the Pentagon was actually a set up to kill him. The man who sent her the program, which acted like a computer virus, is killed in an airplane crash, and her life is turned upside down.
On vacation to Mexico, she loses everything that identifies her and quickly learns that all public accessible records on her have been changed to a new identity.
Now, she has to run from the people who are trying to killer her and get back the information she has that proves the conspiracy. Only close friends can help her, but they pay the ultimate price as she tries to regain her life.
I remember how bad the critics blasted this movie. While some of it did deserve it, I don't think it was that bad of a movie.
First, Bullock did a pretty good job as a woman who was having her life change without her consent. She also did a pretty good job as a person who was trying to solve a mystery without the assistance of people she could really trust.
I found the supporting cast hard to believe. First, we have a former lover (Dennis Miller) who delivers his lines the same way in every scripted scene he's ever done without the help of cue cards like his days on SNL. Then there was "Angela's" mother, a victim of Alzheimer's, who was used as a pawn by those chasing her. We only got to see the mother only a couple of times, but with that horrible disease it was hard for the actress to do much.
The villains were pretty pathetic. First, we have the guy who tried to gain "Angela's" heart to gain her trust. He was just not believable, especially when he tells "Angela" that he is attracted to her. Then there was the woman who takes over "Angela's" life. You would think that somebody who worked at the same place would realize that she is not who she claims to be. It was really pathetic that somebody wouldn't say something.
The special effects were pretty dated. They were nothing fancy for a big budget movie. The computer graphics looked like they were from a time earlier than when this film was released. To me, the graphics looked like something from the late 1980's.
Character development is not great, especially in the supporting cast. Some of the relationships "Angela" has is barely defined. I also found little to no chemistry between Bullock and just about every person she comes across with in this film. I felt no chemistry between Bullock and Miller at all. They were easily the worst on screen couple in this movie if you ask me.
The only thing that was done right in this movie was the mystery surrounding who stole "Angela's" life. And that's the only thing that makes the movie worth seeing when you come across it on television or on On Demand. I also liked how the people tried to get "Angela" to believe that her life was not what she knew it was.
