SURVEILLANCE - Mike's Review

The opening sequence of SURVEILLANCE is just brilliant. Horrifying flashes of a brutal homicide by masked murderers, intercut with a terrified woman fleeing down the freeway, will throw you instantly into the chilling criminal investigation that is about to begin in the small countryside town. When the FBI show up the local law enforcement don't take to kindly to their interference and what gradually unravels is a gruesome tale of the fetishism of power that blights those who wield it. This strange thriller mixes the penchant for grittiness that has emerged in thrillers over the past ten years with the surreal and very very dark stylings of David Lynch, who happens to be the father of the director in this instance. His daughter Jennifer also seems to have adopted his interest in small town life, as she dissects the world that is protected only by the dubious motives of the local Sheriff's department. In fact I seem to recall her father making something about the FBI visiting a small town in the country where unusual events are occurring... hmm. This movie doesn't quite stretch to the extremes of TWIN PEAKS. It does plunge into the depths of evil though, and the results are pretty damn cool. Once you're convinced of the severity of the situation by the early scenes, the story unfolds through flashbacks happening as the FBI interrogate officers and civilians present at one of the murderer's attacks. This steady release of information draws out the tension to great effect, and allows Lynch to pace the film perfectly as it progresses inexorably to its grand finale. But here we hit the one hitch, the grand finale just isn't quite grand enough. For all of the initial promise of the first half hour, the twist at the end (which always comes with these kind of thrillers) just doesn't pack enough of a punch. Perhaps it's because you can work it out well in advance of the revelation scene, or perhaps because Lynch just doesn't put as much effort into making the end look cool, either way it's a little bit too tame to live up to the high standards set by the opening. Overall though, SURVEILLANCE is a decent thriller with more than enough style and substance to keep you glued to the screen. Just don't expect Jennifer to live up to her fathers standards just yet.