Enemy Of The State (1998)

Larry King: How do we draw the line - draw the line between protection of national security, obviously the government's need to obtain intelligence data, and the protection of civil liberties, particularly the sanctity of my home? You've got no right to come into my home!

If you're enjoying the action around Julian Assange and Snowden, then this is the movie to watch. If you want to know how to discredit someone by digging every little dirty secret of one's personal life, then this is the movie to watch. As the tagline says, "It's not paranoia if they are really after you". We have seen it happen to Assange, and now we starting to get a glimpse of what's about to happen to Snowden.

When D.C. lawyer Robert Clayton Dean (Will Smith) gets a videotape in his possession that has substantial evidence against a mob boss, he is threatened to reveal the name of the informer or face consequences. An ex-flame, Rachel (Lisa Bonet), is the mediator between Dean and the informer, who goes by the name of Brill (Gene Hackman). Things get complicated as another whistle-blower drops a disk containing damning evidence against the Government into his bag. Apparently a congressman, who was about to oppose the bill favoring surveillance activities of the government, is murdered  by a rival, Thomas Reynolds (Jon Voight), and the whole incident is caught on tape. As the NSA guys try to hunt down Dean, he realizes his problems are not just about the mob bosses, but something even bigger than that. Dean's life turns into a nightmare as he loses his job, his house gets vandalized and his past extra-marital affair resurfaces to cast doubt on anything he might say in the future.

As Dean gets to meet Brill for the first time, he learns he is bugged from head to toe, and what we get is an action-packed chain of events that will keep you glued to your seats. Gene Hackman as the former NSA employee gives a smooth and an excellent performance. Director Tony Scott teams up with producer Jerry Bruckheimer to provide an action-thriller that is worth every minute of your time. Even though Enemy Of The State was released before 9/11, it is more relevant today than ever before as we slowly move into an Orwellian society. If you love your conspiracy theories, then this is the movie to watch.

Rating: 7/10