In this day and age, we cannot live our lives without the internet. It has become an essential part of life. From the mundane day-to-day moments to the milestones and flashy achievements, we are urged to post every detail of our life on social media, with the help of the internet. To keep pace with the world, we rely on the internet. But no matter how useful it is, the internet has a bad side, too. It gives us everything, but takes away our privacy.
Davo Hardy's "Public Eye" is a deft and calculated depiction of this concept. The plot showcases the contradictions and social injustices of everyday online activity, reminding us all that the dark side of the internet is never far-removed from any well-intentioned Google search. Moreover, as the story unfolds, we see how online complacency and the anonymity of keyboard warriors can it ruin a life.
SYNOPSIS: the movie tells the story of Elliott Sinclair; the face of a famous child show named Edukidz.
Everything seems normal - The opening scene of the movie shows that Elliott has a lovely wife and a sixteen-year-old boy. For the most part, Elliott seems to have everything; a happy family and a super balanced work-life, that he is enjoying.
I got offered a role - as the story develops, Elliott gets offered a role in a movie, wherein the script says he has to to do a nude scene. After some soul-searching, Elliott concludes that he is comfortable enough to accept the role, but as soon as he shares this news with his family, he faces some harsh opposition over his decision. His father, among other family members, is horrified; comparing the opportunity to a degrading exploitation. Elliott is perturbed by the conviction and polarity his family's opinions, balanced by the full support of his wife, which emphasizes their healthy relationship.
My world goes upside down - after having an argument with his father, Elliott retreats to his bedroom and concludes the evening with some stress-relief; whereby he proceeds to watch porn online and finds himself recorded by the site. In the moment, Elliott simply ignores the matter, thinking that his video will hardly be noticed by anybody, in the vast expanse of the internet. But by the next morning, it has spread everywhere. Every social media site has his video and it continues to circulate as anonymous, defamatory clickbait. This simply demolishes Elliott's life. He gets criticized by so-called social activists, his work colleagues and even his own father, who is practically overwhelmed with self-righteous "I told you so" energy. Elliott's family is humiliated and the ripple-effect continues on and on. At one point in the movie, as things spiral out of control, a random person is duped by online trolls and coerced into attacking Elliott's wife. By this point, the family already has hired security, but the assailant still manages to invade the household.
Fame is evil - Before long, Elliott finds himself with nothing to lose. With the loss of his image, gained over a lifetime, he sets about countering all the online hatred with hashtags and positive social media posts; in a bid to drown out the trolling. The whole time, it is made clear how easily the public can forget virtues and focus purely on the accusations.
Capping off the solid storyline, the movie has a top-notch ending, which will surely move the audience's mind. Sometimes we got fascinated by the fame that is given by the different social media platforms, but most are not prepared for the cost of that fame.
ANALYSIS: Davo Hardy's "Public Eye" elucidated an extremely sensitive topic. In every aspect of the story, the internet is framed as a beacon of uncensored expression, boundless validation and sinister dangling carrots. Boasting a diverse and talented cast, the concepts of bisexuality and desire, sexual pleasure, fascinations of adolescence and the fickle search for fame are explored in rich detail. This makes the movie unique and very, very watch-worthy.
"Public Eye" showcases writer/director Davo Hardy's eccentric creative skill. There are so many movies that have been created around this concept, but this movie will surely create its own cult following for its storyline and Davo Hardy's unconventional directing style.
All the actors carried the plot in a genuine way. However, the protagonist, Elliott Sinclair, played by Davo Hardy himself, is the backbone of the story. The whole journey revolves around his character, and I must say Davo Hardy has performed the character in the most promising and authentic way.
The movie runs for almost two hours, and the audience will be glued to it for its natural and captivating storytelling. The experience will not only serve to entertain but it also delivers a strong message to society about the harsh side of the internet. For moviegoers who enjoy deep-dives into knowledge and a balanced debate on a heated topic, this movie comes highly recommended.
