NAKED SINGULARITY
US, 2021, 93 minutes, Colour.
John Boyega, Olivia Cooke, Bill Skarsgaard, Ed Skrein, Linda Lavin, Tim Blake Nelson.
Directed by Chase Palmer.
A comparatively brief, sometimes puzzling, sometimes intriguing New York drama. (Surprisingly, the central characters are actually British and another has Swedish background.)
The basic theme is interesting, a New York lawyer, working for hard cases who don’t make his presentation any easier, is the subject of continuous reprimands from a very severe judge, played by veteran Linda Lavin. He has a friend and coworker, rather sleazy in his attitude towards morality, played by Bill Skarsgaard. Also in the act is a criminal who has inside information about crime and robberies and his contact in the office for reclaiming impounded vehicles. There is also a strange character (played by Tim Blake Nelson), who has theories about the world coming to an end, imploding. This has an effect on the young lawyer, on his imagination and dreams, on his fears, with one commentator saying this is not science fiction but “cosmic sensibility”.
The lawyer is played by John Boyega, the young woman by Olivia Cooke, the sleazy gangster by Ed Skrein (as said, all British).
The drama of the film is the lawyer’s decision to participate in using his wits, urged on by his associate, to become involved in robbing a client and his million-dollar drug deal. So, some tension in this part of the action. And, the lawyer exerting some kind of nobility after this immoral/amoral action.
- The title, explanations, physics and metaphysics, individuals and achievement?
- The New York setting, public defenders, court hearings, towing companies and storage, options, the city background, apartments? The warehouse, cars, drugs? The musical score?
- The focus on Casi, public defendant, explanation of himself, age, experience, black, straightforward, working for his clients, their cooperation and lack of cooperation, priming them to nod at the right time, the disappearances from the hearings? The interactions with the judge, her severity, harshness, condemning Casi?
- The introduction to Leah, her background, criminal record, drugs, her contacts, working in the towing Centre, Craig, his approach, the bribe, contacting him afterwards, the sexual liaison? The car, the drugs, storage, the plan?
- Dane, public defendant, up-and-coming, friendship with Casi? Amoral? The link with Leah? The information about the drugs and the money? The discussions with Casi, trying to persuade him, the plan?
- Casi, the past with Leah, meeting, conversation, the night together?
- The drug dealers, Craig, the big bodyguard? The police, surveillance?
- Craig, the plan, the auction, being outbid in by the drug contacts?
- The execution of the plan, Casi agreeing, the current the money, Craig’s role, the bodyguard? Casi, removing the surveillance, the fight with the bodyguard? Dane and the cars? Leah and the cast? Her deal with Craig, the money deal on demands?
- The execution of the heist, the car, the money, later meeting, the suitcases with the money, Dane and his self-confidence? Casi breaking with Leah, each with their money?
- Casi returning to public defence after the suspension by the judge? His client, the need for bail, his having the money to supply the bail? His future?
