Greetings And Salutations, and welcome to my review of Interface; here's the breakdown of my ratings:
Story: 1.25
Direction: 1.25
Pace: 1.25
Acting: 1.25
Enjoyment: 1.25
TOTAL: 6.25 out of 10.00
Interface surprised me when I saw the tally I gave it. I thought it would come out around the four mark. However, even though the movie isn't that great and has some weak points, it possesses more strong moments and elements.
For one, the story has a great notion. The writer and director, Andy Anderson, took the essential principle of The Star Chamber and dropped it into the computer age. A group of disguised computer machine heads have created a new game using the university's mainframe. Using data hacked from various sources, they let the CPU run its algorithms to calculate if their prey deserves their brand of justice - getting paintballed from the shadows. However, when one execution goes awry, the bad guys pull a gun, and people start dying. This misadventure gives the second in command of the jury a grim idea. Why shouldn't they dole out this increased final brand of punishment because the Master Computer never ers? After a short discussion, everyone is on board with the new regime, even the neigh sayers. But little do they know that their course professor and a police inspector are on their trail. Luckily for them but unluckily for the Prof, the detective believes the murders to be his doing. Though there are plenty of opportunities to make the story a tad more moralistic, Anderson decides not to go down that road. The neigh sayers are few, and we seldom hear their thoughts on the killings. Had we been given a better argument between the two factions of the jurors, this would have strengthened the moralistic side of the tale. It's always nice to be able to pick sides. Would you condone the killings or not? It would have also allowed for more growth of character in these individuals. Due to the masks and the role-playing, we don't get to know them and cannot relate. What Anderson excels at in Interface is the pairing of Professor Rex Hobson and Amy Witherspoon. These two have a wonderfully entertaining relationship. Both are solid characters, and when they team up, things become stimulating. Thanks to these two individuals, the story isn't a washout.
Sadly, Anderson's direction is as good as his writing, which means there are some good sections and some not-so-good. Though overall, he does present an above-average movie. His visual composition is good, and his comedic timing, though not fantastic, is passable and helps with the scenes staring the Prof and Amy. When he shoots the mainframe scenes, he drops the lighting down a notch or two to create an ominous feel, but it isn't quite enough. Even the homemade futureware the jurors don doesn't send shivers down your spine. Worst yet, most haven't fared well with time; you may find yourself giggling with the 1980s Dr Who feel of it all. At least the murders are ingenious and well-thought-out.
As for the performances, these are okay. But I wonder who did the casting as the teens in the university all look older than their professor. One of them, the jock, has a receding hairline that only a grandad should possess. Luckily for the viewer, the chemistry between the Prof, played by John Davies, and Amy, portrayed by Lauren Lane, is darkly divine. And, by far, the best thing about the movie.
For me, Interface is more of a Science Fiction Thriller as there are no substantial horror elements. In which case, I'd only suggest that Sci-Fi fans give this little picture a look-see. It's not brilliant, but it's worth one watch, and if you need something to pass an hour or so, you could do worse.
Now, the master computer has passed judgment; please examine my IMDb lists - The Final Frontier and The Game Is A foot, to see where I ranked Interface before we commence executing justice.
Take Care & Stay Well.
