A lot going on here. Mike Max, mister big shot movie producer (Bill Pullman) is kidnapped by cut-rate thugs. and somehow manages to turn the tables, escape the kidnappers, and make a get-away. but the experience has changed him. meanwhile, we see someone is up in Griffith Observatory, watching a thousand cameras, as they watch over LA. the observer (Ray, played by Gabriel Byrne) seems to remember spotting something that might be related to the incident. lots of ethereal, extra trippy chatty conversation, as Doc (?) interviews people, searching for Mike, who is missing. he visits the wife (Andie McDowell), Mike's actors. and the whole time, Mike is hanging with the gardeners. lots of nebulous characters; no-one ever says anyone's name, so we're not really sure who anyone is. and many long pauses. it turns out there's a big-brother project to install cameras and security to help the police reduce crime, but it's so controversial that it's teetering on not being approved. sounds like Minority Report. discussions of violence in movies, violence in music lyrics. discussions on the technology to stop the violence. directed by wim wenders, who is adept at films in many categories... docs, music vids, full length. it's good, if you don't mind some confusion. mysterious mystery. keeping the viewer in the dark about so many things. it's just clever enough to get away with it. on Epix streaming channel.
Review of The End of Violence
