Closed Circuit

MPA Rating: for language and brief violence.

Relevant Issues

lack of privacy from government surveillance

terrorism

use of secret government classified evidence in prosecution

Featuring	Eric Bana … Martin Rose Rebecca Hall … Claudia Simmons-Howe Ciarán Hinds … Devlin Jim Broadbent … Attorney General Julia Stiles … Joanna Reece See all » Kate Lock … Mother Katherine Press … Pregnant Daughter Ricky Nixon … Fish Trader Daniel Tuite … Drinks Trader Zora Bishop … Mother of Toddler Vicky Jam … Teenage Girl Zahra Ahmadi … Woman on Cellphone Stephen North … Angry Trader Denis Moschitto … Farroukh Erdogan Pinar Ögün … Ilkay Erdogan Hasancan Cifci … Emir Erdogan James Lowe … Simon Fellowes Kenneth Cranham … Cameron Fischer Riz Ahmed … Nazrul Sharma Doug Allen … Ryan Jemma Powell … Elizabeth Isaac Hempstead Wright … Tom Rose Luing Andrews … Belmarsh Guard Neil D’Souza … Iqbal Anne-Marie Duff … Melissa Barbora Bobulova … Piccola Dexter Galang … Chinese Waiter Sam Woodward … MI5 Agent Ben Loyd-Holmes … MI5 Jogger Angus Wright … Andrew Altman Adjoa Andoh … News Reporter 2 Adam Tedder … Court Clerk Hemi Yeroham … Turkish Restaurant Man
Director	John Crowley
Producer	Focus Features Working Title Films See all » Mairi Bett … co-producer Tim Bevan … producer Liza Chasin … executive producer Chris Clark … producer Eric Fellner … producer
Distributor	Focus Features, a subsidiary of Universal Pictures, a division of NBCUniversal/Comcast

“They see your every move.”

Here’s what the distributor says about their film: “One morning, a busy London market is decimated by an explosion. In the manhunt that follows, only one member of the suspected terrorist cell survives: Farroukh Erdogan (Denis Moschitto), who is arrested and jailed. Preparations begin for what promises to be the trial of the century.

But there’s a hitch: the government will use classified evidence to prosecute Erdogan, evidence so secret that neither he nor his lawyers can be allowed to see it. Hence the need for the Attorney General (Academy Award winner Jim Broadbent) to appoint a Special Advocate, an additional government-approved defense lawyer (Claudia Simmons-Howe, played by Golden Globe Award nominee Rebecca Hall), one who has clearance to see classified evidence and who can argue for its full disclosure when the trial moves to “closed” session. The rules for the Special Advocate are clear: once the secret evidence is shared with her, Claudia will not be allowed to communicate even with the defendant or with other members of the defense team.

But just as the case is on the eve of going to trial, Erdogan’s lawyer dies suddenly, and a new defense attorney, Martin Rose (Eric Bana), quickly steps in. Martin is tenacious, driven, brilliant ‑ and an ex-lover of Claudia’s. The two lawyers make an uncomfortable pact to keep their former affair hidden. But as Martin begins to piece the case together, the outlines of a sinister conspiracy emerge, one that will draw him and Claudia dangerously close again.

A Focus Features presentation of a Working Title production. Eric Bana, Rebecca Hall. Closed Circuit. Ciårán Hinds, Riz Ahmed, Anne-Marie Duff, Kenneth Cranham, Denis Moschitto. With Julia Stiles and Jim Broadbent. Casting by Fiona Weir. Music by Joby Talbot. Make-up and Hair Designer, Daniel Phillips. Costume Designer, Natalie Ward. Editor, Lucia Zucchetti. Production Designer, Jim Clay. Director of Photography, Adriano Goldman. Co-Producer, Mairi Bett. Executive Producers, Tim Owen, Liza Chasin, Amelia Granger. Screenplay by Steve Knight. Produced by Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Chris Clark. Directed by John Crowley. A Focus Features Release.”

PLEASE share your observations and insights to be posted here.