Shane West (ER, ONCE AND AGAIN) stars in this technological thriller that was originally titled THE GIFT, a genre-less moniker that would have captured the young-male fantasy of the untold riches… Shane West (ER, ONCE AND AGAIN) stars in this technological thriller that was originally titled THE GIFT, a genre-less moniker that would have captured the young-male fantasy of the untold riches and limitless luxury dangled in front of our winsome hero in the film’s opening section, but says nothing of the Big-Brother-informed noir-mystery nightmare that follows. ECHELON CONSPIRACY is a much more suitable title (and not just because it makes mention of the international government’s real-life information-tracking software system). Lightweight yet complexly conspiratorial, ECHELON takes inspiration from the vast array of paranoia thrillers of yesteryear, from the heaviness of THE PARALLAX VIEW (1974) to the fantastical 1980s-ness of WARGAMES and such ’90s takes as THE NET and ENEMY OF STATE. While on a business trip in Russia, young computer technician Max Peterson (West) receives a high-tech cell phone in the mail that dispenses advice via anonymous text messages.
[UG] Echelon Conspiracy (2009) [BluRay]
