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Enemy Of The State [1998]


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Editorial
Amazon.co.uk Review

Robert Clayton Dean (Will Smith) is a lawyer with a wife and family whose happily normal life is turned upside down after a chance meeting with a college buddy (Jason Lee) at a lingerie shop. Unbeknownst to the lawyer, he's just been burdened with a videotape of a congressman's assassination. Hot on the tail of this tape is a ruthless group of National Security Agents commanded by a belligerently ambitious fed named Reynolds (Jon Voight). Using surveillance from satellites, bugs and other sophisticated snooping devices, the NSA infiltrates every facet of Dean's existence, tracing each physical and digital footprint he leaves. Driven by acute paranoia, Dean enlists the help of a clandestine former NSA operative named Brill (Gene Hackman) and Enemy of the State kicks into high-intensity hyperdrive. Teaming up once again with producer Jerry Bruckheimer, Top Gun director Tony Scott demonstrates his glossy style with clever cinematography and breakneck pacing. Will Smith proves that there's more to his success than a brash sense of humour, giving a versatile performance that plausibly illustrates a man cracking under the strain of paranoid turmoil. Hackman steals the show by essentially reprising his role from The Conversation--just imagine his memorable character Harry Caul some 20 years later. Most of all, the film's depiction of high-tech surveillance is highly convincing and dramatically compelling, making this a cautionary tale with more substance than you'd normally expect from a Scott-Bruckheimer action extravaganza. --Jeremy Storey

Editorial
Special Features

2.35 Wide Screen
DVD 9
English
English
Region 2
Dolby Digital 5.1 English
Dolby Digital 5.1
Deleted Scenes
Theatrical Trailer
Making Of Featurette
Behind The Scenes Look At The Showdown Scene
Danish\Dutch\English\Finnish\Norwegian\Swedish

Editorial
Synopsis

Robert Dean (Will Smith) is a labor lawyer who is unknowingly in possession of evidence related to a serious politically motivated crime. Government agents eager to hide their guilt believe that Dean is on to them, and proceed to turn his life upside-down, ruin his reputation, and frame him for various incidents, thanks to the latest in high-tech government surveillance techniques. In an attempt to clear his name and reclaim his life, Dean teams up with the reclusive Brill (Gene Hackman), a former federal employee who has as much high-tech equipment and expertise as the government itself. Hackman's role is an extension of Harry Caul, the character he portrayed in Francis Ford Coppola's brilliant 1974 film, THE CONVERSATION. Smith scores as a man who is desperate to reclaim his identity and prove his innocence. This intense technological thrill-ride from director Tony Scott questions how much access the government should have to the communications of private citizens, and leaves the viewer with the unsettling feeling that Big Brother is definitely watching. Watch for the uncredited appearances of Jason Robards, Seth Green, Tom Sizemore, and Philip Baker Hall.

Very good
Review date: 2008-07-20 Rating: 8 out of 10

US techno-thriller in which successful lawyer Will Smith's life is turned upside down when he somehow gets hold of a tape that shows prominent politician Jon Voight murdering a fellow congressman. Voight and his people find out that Smith has possession of the tape and then set about trying to get the tape back, tracking Smith using the latest surveillance technology including tracers and spy satellites. They also invalidate Smith and his wife's credit cards by computer to make life as difficult for Smith as possible and murder Smith's close friend Lisa Bonet, hoping to frame Smith for her murder in an attempt to discredit him if he were ever to go public with what he knows. Smith goes on the run and eventually teams up with reclusive former National Security Agency employee and technological whiz Gene Hackman and together they try to bring the nefarious Voight and his team down. A pacy conspiracy thriller showing the potential for the abuse of power by those that control the surveillance technology that is supposed to protect us from threats such as terrorism and a timely commentary on the erosion of personal privacy and civil liberties in this day and age. Not a perfect movie because I did not feel that justice had been correctly served by the end of the movie but nonetheless very good.

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Reviews


Excellent film with a thought provoking storyline
Review date: 2008-06-05 Rating: 8 out of 10

It's taken me 10 years to watch this film and now that I've seen it, I think to myself, "why did I wait so long?".

Gene Hackman is an actor who I respect very highly, there's never been a film of his that I've not enjoyed, you do have to wait sometime for him to make his first appearance, but when he does he takes the film to another level, Will Smith and Jon Voigt both put in fine performances too and are supported by a large number of faces that I recognise including shorts stints by Jason Robards and Gabriel Byrne, but for fans of these 2 they are only in the film for around a 2 minutes each and that's it, which in the case of Jason Robards in particular is a shame.

I was glued to this film from start to finish wondering what was going to happen next and how on Earth were the good guys going to get out alive or if indeed were either of them going reach the end of the film.

The film goes along at a good steady rate, at times pretty racy, but I think the thing that I enjoyed most of all was the whole story of a government agency or indeed anyone trying to destroy someones life to cover their own mistake/crime and the extreme measures that they take in order to find the evidence that would bring them down.

Thought provoking in that if they can do what they do to a totally innocent person who happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, then they could conceivably do this to anyone at anytime, maybe they already have?

A really decent film
Review date: 2008-05-17 Rating: 8 out of 10

I don't want my title to put people off this if they haven't seen it. Decent is not a bad word! I enjoy this film and have watched it several times. Each time is a pleasure and I don't tire of it. Will Smith puts in a good performance whilst Gene Hackman is excellent. Smith plays an attorney who ends up being in the wrong place in the wrong time and as a result he puts himself firmly in the sights of the CIA. They bug him and track him with a very powerful array of gadgets and computer systems. Enlisting the help of Hackman, Smith attempts to clear his name after being setup for a murder he didn't commit. Its slick, explosive and great fun. A good film.

Slick Paranoia Thriller
Review date: 2007-05-21 Rating: 10 out of 10

Big Brother is watching you, and if he wants he can really you screw you up. This is a classic commercial film about paranoia brilliantly enacted by Will Smith.
Enemy Of The State is a nice action flick. But the special formula, used by Tony Scott, to make us like the movie, doesn't include great action, or great storyline. It has style, that includes an interesting general idea of the movie and great camera angles. The general idea, the movie was based on, is that you can be spotted anywhere in the open by the satellite, and be followed by it. The camera angles, and images that take us to the satellite and back add a lot to the intensity, which is already high. The movie is fast paced and never boring.

Great suspense
Review date: 2006-12-16 Rating: 10 out of 10

Top notch performance from will smith in yet another movie. This guy can act a part extremely well, able supported by hugh jackman. Great film throughout, that will keep you in suspense, and wondering what will happen next!

Product Details/Specifications


Actor(s):
Will Smith
Regina King
Gene Hackman
Jon Voight
Lisa Bonet

Creators:
Will Smith (Primary Contributor)
Gene Hackman (Primary Contributor)

Director(s):

Recording label: Buena Vista Home Entertainment
Manufacturer: Buena Vista Home Entertainment
EAN: 5017188883368
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 1
Format: PAL, Widescreen,
Release date: 2007-10-01
Number of discs: 1
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Audience rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
Region code: 2
Running time: 127 minutes
Theatrical release date: 1998-11-20
Language: Danish (Subtitled)
Language: Dutch (Subtitled)
Language: English (Subtitled)
Language: Finnish (Subtitled)
Language: Norwegian (Subtitled)
Language: Swedish (Subtitled)
Language: English (Original Language)

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