The Net (1995)

If you like suspense movies, this one will grab your interest. It is a bit dated now by comparison to the technology that exists today. However, it still holds up as a good story and has enough action sequences in it to keep things moving at a nice pace. It was directed by Irwin Winkler who did well with the script and getting the actors to give it a realistic touch. It was written by both John D. Brancato and Michael Ferris. I have seen this film a couple of times, first in the theatre and catching it on television one evening. Both times, I thought Sandra Bullock playing Angela Bennett was fantastic. This to me is one of her better performances alongside Speed (1994) with Keanu Reeves and While You Were Sleeping (1995).

I’ve heard good things about her performance in The Blind Side (2009) now in theaters, but I have not yet seen it. She has a girl next door quality about her in The Net (1995) where she brings a paranoid appeal to the character Angela. You can’t help but get wrapped up in this world she is in. Her character is a specialist with computers and a bit of a loner. Her only real friends are online aside from her ailing mother who suffers from Alzheimer’s. This film is a mirror to society today, and how everything we have is on a computer system somewhere. Our entire lives are recorded and catalogued in some way or another. This leaves room for potential chaos from prying eyes where they don’t need to be.

Jeremy Northam portrays an interesting character in this that is ruthless yet cunning named Jack Devlin. His counterpart is played by Wendy Gazelle as Ruth Marx whose identity is used for a reason. Keep your eyes open for Dennis Miller playing an acquaintance to Angela named Dr. Alan Champion. I thought the casting Dennis in this role was creative and it seemed to work out well.  Diane Baker plays Mrs. Bennett, Ken Howard is Michael Bergstrom, Ray McKinnon is Dale Hessman, Daniel Schorr is the WNN Anchor, L. Scott Caldwell is the Public Defender, Robert Gossett is Ben Phillips, Kristina Krofft is the Nurse, Juan García is Resort Desk Clerk, Tony Perez is the Mexican Doctor, Margo Winkler is Mrs. Raines and Gene Kirkwood is Stan Whiteman.

This film would be classified as a drama with some action in it as well as crime and suspense. I think most people would enjoy seeing this especially if you like action and suspenseful films. When Angela gets a hold of a disk which contains very important information on it her life gets flipped upside down. I think you will find it to be an entertaining ride.

The Net

Post from: Chewypopcorn.com
Written by: Terry Larch

The Net (1995) Review