Cypher is another low-budget, Sci-Fi thriller from director Vicenzo Natali who’s previous work includes the original cult hit, Cube. What we get in Cypher is a sophisticated and intelligent version of the secret agent genre, with a dash of Sci-Fi and more brains than a Bond film.

Jeremy Northam plays a hapless, bumbling twit named Morgan Sullivan. He lives the suburban lifestyle, with a nagging wife, a nice home, a simple life with little in the way of excitement. He doesn’t drink, he doesn’t smoke, he listens to his wife and lives a pedestrian uneventful lifestyle. That is until he decides to apply for a job at Digicorp.

Digicorp are a large corporate company hiring wannabe-moles, working in counter-intelligence against other corporate companies doing the same thing. The world of business is a cut throat, and competitors need every advantage they can get. So, they hire Sullivan as way to deliver information to Digicorp from conferences he attends around the country. Of course, as with any thriller, all is not what it seems.

To say anymore would probably give the game away, as it’s then that the film actually starts. It’s a very well scripted film, with a couple of really bad plotholes and implausibilities. But as thrillers go, and particular one with a small budget, it’s really well written, and better than 90% of the crap you see out in the field.

Northam is perhaps the least charismatic, least interesting actor I’ve seen. He used to star in a fair few films, but rarely in anything interesting. Cypher makes a change for him, but even then, his inability to express anything other than a blank face may put off some viewers hoping for someone who could express a little more emotion.

It’s accusation that could be levelled at the film. Just as with Cube, Natali creates a sleek, stylish film, but feels incredibly cold in its presentation. The use of muted tones of colour in the film is in stark contrast to Sullivan’s suburban lifestyle, where everything seems picturesque and perfect. However, the drab aesthetics are perhaps too excessive, making the film look dull in appearance, when it is in fact quite futuristic, with it’s straight lines or round curves; it’s like a designers dream

Atmospherically, it seems to represent the typical (and often true) representation of the suburban lifestyle of torrid boredom. Everyone wears a similar, depressing suit, looks pale in color having been on the road so much, and more over, everyone seems lonely; content with the life they have, even though it’s obvious they’re not enjoying it.

Cypher comes across as a satire of corporate America within it’s 90 minutes of allocated time. When things do become tense and much more paced than the initial proceedings, they are suitably thrilling; however, this is in the minority, and if it’s action packed thrills you’re looking for, you’re unlikely to find it here, for it is mostly a slow paced.

Although the plot is perhaps cliched, but the delivery and execution is rather smart. As stated, this is an intelligent thriller, with some really imaginative and bright ideas with where to take the genre. The first half serves as sort of preparation phase – it’s quite dull, but tries to build the character and start to create a real sense of delirium.

The film then moves on to it’s revelation phase, again, quite well handled. It’s only towards the end that the film begins to falter. It seems to pander to existing happy endings, with everything starting to turn predictable. We know what’s happening, and who it will happen to, and seems to head in the direction of “Me Too!” Hollywood. It’s a pity, as up to that point the film manages to seem very unique in it’s presentation and writing.

You could argue that it’s all rather dull; Northam’s charmless acting skills are perhaps too dry for anyone to find interesting. That is to say, he fits in with the dullness of the character to such an extent that it seems all to rather scripted. There’s no essence of Northam, just the rather boring guy named Sullivan. Lucy Liu is also in this film playing a femme fatale (that doesn’t give anything away, it’s stated in the plot summary!), and comes across less fatale and more pretentious.

Acting elsewhere, varies from cheesy and hammy, to sinister and well developed. Of course the core focus is on Northam, and he does shine occasionally with a sense of humour. The film is a rather serious affair though, that perhaps takes itself too seriously. It manages, however, to put together a very clever film, full of twist and turns, some rather mind bending ideas which outs explosive big budget nonsense such as the Matrix Trilogy to shame (or at least the latter two borefest sequels).

Overall, I really enjoyed Cypher. It’s a shame it’s so unknown, as there are many redeeming features about the film. The direction is excellent throughout, and the script (although desperate towards the end) is pretty good, with attention to detail in which the scenario expands and contracts is done with some real panache and intrigue.

Verdict: Enjoyable spy thriller, with some interesting ideas