Os Desconectados

I have watched this movie 3 or 4 times and it is gripping. Now, in 2023, the core of this seems like it should be old news, the awareness of just how dangerous and delicate online living should be second nature to understand it is virtual, not real, yet real people are involved in and they all have their stories. The drama of this one involves several overlapping lives, connected but not and deals with some very real things that are happening in society. I cannot go into it or it won't be a surprise, but this is a heavy movie to watch. Actors played their roles really, really well directed well, great dialogue, serious emotion going on.

I see a lot of movies, and the great majority of them make little impression on me. They are fun and entertaining, but quickly forgettable. Not DISCONNECT, though. This is a powerful and provocative film that not only keeps you pinned to your seat but also makes you think about the consequences of your actions. It should certainly be required viewing not only for young people but also for anyone who uses social media or communicates via the Internet. This is a timely, well-written, well-acted, and well-paced movie that stays with you long after you leave the movie theater. I was also pleased by the fact that the director and writer did not take the easy way out. No glib, predictable solutions here, which is one reason why the film's events linger in your mind.

I've never heard or seen anything about DISCONNECT, glad I gave it a chance !

Already after a few minutes it became clear, this is not just another Saturday night movie u sit through. The way the stories are interwoven felt natural, smart, logical and very uneasy. All of them had a vibe of foreboding. That things won't end well ... Good Intentions turned slowly but surely upside down. Secrets created havoc, lies ruined life's - all connected through the internet and our personal or artificial bonds. I'd label it thriller, due to the intense atmosphere it manages to create but after all, it's a powerful and upmost relevant tale of our current society and interaction with each other. A pity it did not receive the buzz it deserves.

A brilliant story to tell how technology has alienated marriage, family and friendship instead of connecting people. It is even sadder when all the stories are based on true events. I watched it at the Hong Kong International Film Festival and for the first time after almost 10 films thought this is the first one which can be publicly released for a wider audience because of its social message, especially right after two cases of murders of local parents by their adult sons who loved to play computer games.

Disconnect mainly centers on three sub stories which are loosely linked. There was nothing wrong in each character's internal logic or perception of the world: a lonely teenager looking for friendship, a wife confiding to a stranger on the internet because her husband cannot talk with her on their loss of their son, a young journalist trying to get a scoop on runaway youth turned cyber sex provider.

As the story progress, however, we see how these longing deviate and troubles follow. Some people were so longing for connection with other human beings but cannot be satisfied at home that they naively trust this virtual relationship on the internet or mobile phone – while on the other end of the line, their "friends" might well be abuser or bullies, taking advantage of these lonely hearts, intentionally or not.

Since the director used to shoot documentaries, the film is filled with an authentic flavor, developing with an urgent tempo. The cast are excellent in portraying they care for their families with wrong method so it looks like they are communicating on the wrong channels thus counterproductive. Jason Bateman is superb in portraying a concerned father who tried to save his son after realizing how much he has neglected him. The large portion of computer chat is displayed by text overlaying on head shots of the authors. And here is what we see how good the acting is, especially young Colin Ford who showed a strong sense of guilt on an innocent face, but also deep concern for his friend.

The characters are not lovable but you cannot help but feel sorry for them and keep asking what went wrong. It also makes us reflect what we need to do, as parents, as classmate, as a regular net shopper to be really connected with people we care amid this overflow of information technology. Just turn off your computer, drop your mobile, and go see it.

Disconnect (2012)

**** (out of 4)

Excellent character study looking at a group of people who have their lives damaged due to activities that they do through the internet. One story deals with a married couple (Paula Patton, Alexander Skarsgard) who are mourning the loss of their child when they discover that their identity has been stolen. A lawyer (Jason Bateman) tries to understand what happened to his son that made him do something drastic. A television reporter (Andrea Riseborough) uses an internet sex actor (Max Thieriot) for her own needs. A former cop (Frank Grillo) discovers that his son might have done something morally wrong. DISCONNECT eventually brings all of these stories together. There's no question that none of these stories are masterpieces and I think it's fair to say that many of them play out exactly like you'd expect them to. Normally this here would kill a movie but director Henry Alex Rubin and screenwriter Andrew Stern do a terrific job at giving us characters we care about, want to know more about and this helps carry the entire picture. I think this film offers up a very good concept of how people have lost touch with reality and sometimes enter dangerous situations online simply because they have nothing better to do or they're looking for some sort of connection that they can't find in their own lives. The film really does a good job at explaining all of these characters and really developing all of them so that you really do feel as if you know these people and understand everything they're doing and why. It certainly doesn't hurt that we're given so many excellent performances. Both Bateman and Grillo really stand out as parents who fear that they have let their children down. Thieriot, making waves on 'Bates Motel,' also is very good in his part. The entire cast really does shine and this here says a lot about their talent but also the screenplay, which gives them so much to do. Again, I think many people will see the ending coming but it really doesn't matter because of the emotional connection that you get with the characters. DISCONNECT is certainly a gem of a picture that shows what a great script, direction and acting can do.