Disconnect begins with a number of stories that appear to have no connection other than that the virtual lives that their characters lead are encroaching on their real ones. Nina (Andrea Riseborough) is a journalist who is getting too close to the subject of her story, a charismatic young man called Kyle (Max Theiriot) who is involved in an underage internet sex cam ring. Derek (Alexander Skarsgård) and Cindy (Paula Patton) are an emotionally estranged couple who find solace in their separate online activities. Rich (Jason Bateman) is a workaholic father too busy taking calls to notice his lonely teenage son Ben (Jonah Bobo) retreating into social media.
We soon discover how the stories connect, as secrets begin to unravel when the character’s virtual and real worlds collide with devastating results. As the title suggests, Disconnect attempts to show the effects of technology on human relationships, and how the more ‘connected’ we become, the further we grow apart.
The film is admirable for tackling a subject so changeable that even social anthropologists are struggling trying to keep up; however, the limitations of the material don’t quite match up to its aspirations.
The multiple-story arc structure tries to connect themes as large as child exploitation, death, bullying, and suicide. It’s a lot of ground to cover, and as a result the film struggles to give each topic the weight it deserves. Coupled with an ending that ties the stories together a little too neatly, the results are superficial rather than profound.
Disconnect is beautiful to look at, even when we are taken into the dark underworld of the online prostitution ring. Shot in a glossy documentary style, each scene is rich with colour and texture but somehow retains a gritty feel. Rubin deftly navigates the same difficulty which many contemporary films encounter when trying to dramatise ‘The Internet’, by focusing not on the screens but the lights flickering on the actor’s faces as they watch them. This is a film, after all, about the humans behind the machines.
Indeed the ensemble cast is where the film’s strength lies, each holding up their part of the intertwining stories with strong performances. Riseborough is particularly convincing as the ambitious reporter, even when her character’s choices appear unbelievably naive, while Bobo’s portrayal of the bullied teen is heartbreaking. Bateman, in a rare dramatic role, is not quite as successful as the grief-stricken father, particularly as the movie turns further away from social commentary and descends into melodrama in its final act
Rating: 3 stars out of 5
Disconnect
Director: Henry-Alex Rubin
USA, 2013, 110 mins
Release date (DVD): October 16
Distributor: Madman Entertainment
Rated: MA15+
For more information, visit Disconnect.
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