Surveillance (2006)

Touches You

Please don't spend money on this.

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

Enjoyed this film 100%. Not only was it dramatic, from blackmail, to murder. (Armand Assante) played a really great bad guy,(Harley). The setting of the movie took place during the holiday season, which is a beautiful time to fall in love. And that set the stage for the wonderful romance that developed between Dennis (Nick Cornish), and Claire (Laurie Fortier). Amist all the drama unfolding at this department store, being terrorized by this creepy loss prevention supervisor that would stop at nothing, and their very lives at stake, they turned to each other and worked as a team. Hope to see these actors a lot more in the near future. Didn't know of this movie until I just happened to catch it on a cable TV channel, but turned out to be a very nice find. Not to be confused with several other movies with the same name, the plot and setting was very strong in this film. and the ending didn't disappoint. Wonderful acting and script writing. Kudos to writer (David Golden), and director (Fritz Kiersch). This movie hit its mark..

Obsessive surveillance expert, Harley(Armand Assante), who has multiple screens set up in a city's mall to keep a look out for any possible shoplifting or other suspicious activity, is to teach a college kid, Dennis(Nick Cornish), on probation the ropes. Harley has a seemingly unsavory interest in Assistant Manager Claire(Laurie Fortier), who may get the job of her predecessor, Ben(Robert Rusler) who was caught(by Harley)stealing goods(plasma television)using his position as a means to do so. Claire hates Harley, thinks he's a creep, and knows that he is keeping a close eye on her. Harley resents those who are able to climb the corporate ladder, the fast track, in a small period of time, and he's quite vocal to Claire about this when she acquires her new position after superior Ben's arrest. There's an obvious dark side to Harley, and it's not just the way he goes about his job, but certain extra curricular activities which involves shoplifters who might've gotten out of the mall with stolen merchandise. A room Harley keeps locked(used to be the boiler room before it was shut down), a mannequin's eyes move(..when Dennis leaves the room where the mannequins are stored), and those who had shoplifted from the mall mysteriously vanish without a trace..I think it's easy to see that Harley is behind something malicious and it'll be up to Dennis to take him down.Asante is always intense and intimidating when he has a character that requires for him to be. His Harley is so devoted to his job, he demands excellence from his new protégé. Harley wants to toughen Dennis up, and allows him to collar a street thug who wields a razor at him..Harley doesn't come to his aid, allowing Dennis to stand up for himself, resulting in the street thug's beat down. Harley is hung up on usefulness, purpose, and when shoplifters get a slap on the wrist despite their theft, he feels he must mete out proper justice. But, his adversaries, Claire and Dennis, are up for the challenge of getting rid of their nuisance. Cameras everywhere, his eyes always following them, Harley has outstayed his welcome for quite some time. You know that Harley will have a psychotic break when Dennis discovers that he's been forging check(Dennis' checks) with Claire's name and spending them, which leads to his possible suspension/dismissal..take away the career that is the blood that courses through a man's veins and he's bound to snap. Preposterous ending suggests that Harley is superhuman(how can any human being take a hypodermic to the chest and a tank to the skull and still get back up as if nothing happened?), as Claire and Dennis defend themselves against him as he comes after them. Fans of Assante will probably want to check SURVEILLANCE out, he is the whole show.

Harley is a reclusive mall security guard whose life's obsession is to apprehend potential shoplifters through a state-of-the-art electronic surveillance network. Trouble is, the would-be shoplifters mysteriously disappear. Dennis, Harley's young apprentice, starts to dig into the shady past of his introvert boss. What he discovers is not very pleasant.The concept behind "Surveillance" escapes the stereotypical clichés of the genre. The movie is solidly built around a robust script with emphasis on plot and character development rather than special effects. Armand Assante delivers a convincing performance as the enigmatic Harley. Direction is by legendary director Fritz Kiersch, whose credits include the cult horror classic "Children of the Corn." The producers include none other than Academy Award winner Gray Frederickson, whose resume boasts "Apocalypse Now" and the "Godfather" series. The production was filmed for very little money in Oklahoma City. Especially notable is the production design by Rebekah Bell and the art department who managed to pull off a credible job on a shoestring budget.

I found it in DVD rental, and took it in lack of better promises. It started interesting, and was good until some 60%. But ending is very disappointing. Nothing is explained, dead bodies just appear everywhere... It looks that producer(s) ran out of money (or ideas?). There were some minor clues to explain Assante's characters behavior, but all it was not enough for build story (and of course character). Even romantic relation between rookie and blondie was interrupted - just like that :( With better ending it could be solid thriller.Acting was good for this level of production. Watch it only if appears on TV.