La meccanica delle ombre

A French thriller; A story about an unemployed man who is hired by a mysterious organization to transcribe intercepted calls. This shadowy spy story has a theme about one who places trust in those who don't trust others. It places the viewer in predicaments about telling the truth when there is risk and how it feels to be trapped with seemingly no way out. The film mounts tension well in the first act by producing intrigue and paranoia from a minimalist style of direction. But, it fails to sustain the tension beyond the introduction of a plot change and a plot convolution thereafter. There are are some implausible details like use of an old fashioned typewriter in a modern setting and the easy trust of a strange, anonymous employer, unvetted. By the end the story weighs heavy and lacking substance but the journey there is made easy by a very watchable lead performance and brilliant sound design.