Disconnected

 

Written by Andrew Storm
Directed by Harry Alex Rubin

With Jason Bateman, Alexander Skarsgard, Paula Patton, Andrea Riseborough,

Colin Ford, Frank Grillo, Hope Davis, Jonah Bobo, Max Thrieriot

 

“Disconnected” thrills with a timely and riveting story about the perils of an Internet-oriented society. Writer Andrew Storm and director Harry Alex Rubin have expertly woven three loosely related storylines that illustrate how seeking social connection on the Internet can lead to devastating consequences.

In one story, a couple, Cindy (Paula Patton) and Derek (Alexander Skarsgard), are grieving over the death of their toddler. It is too painful for them to share their grief with each other. So Cindy clicks on to a grief sharing Web site. Derek deals with his grief though online gambling, creating huge debt.

Their information is hacked and they become victims of enormous identity theft. They are now bankrupt, and hire a private detective, Mike (Frank Grillo) to help track down the perpetrator. It may take months to rectify the situation, so they take matters into their own hands.

Another story involves Mike, the private detective , who is a widower and is trying to connect with his teenage son, Jason (Colin Ford). Jason is friends with Frye (Avrad Bernstein). Both are smartass teens, constantly playing pranks. They target a lonely classmate, Ben (Jason Bobo) by creating a fictional girl online who elicits personal information from Ben. The information is posted online with a disastrous aftermath. Ben’s distracted parents (Jason Bateman and Hope Davis) don’t have a clue as to their bullied son’s silent suffering.

Another narrative involves an ambitious TV reporter, Nina (Andrea Riseborough) who does an exposé of teens being exploited for online sex. She goes online with an engaging Kyle (Max Theirot),an underage sex performer. She then exposes the operation, but there are fateful consequences.

All actors in “Disconnect” give fine and sensitive performances. The film is handsomely shot, with many in- your -face closeups. There is an intimate and real tone to the film. That you really “feel” for the actors is a testament to their acting.

All of the incidents in “Disconnected” are initiated either through iPhones, iPads,

or laptops. In each case there are severe consequences for sharing confidences
online. Not only is “Disconnect” a cautionary tale of living online, but
 it is a timely and moving meditation of the modern family. And it’s not “Leave It to Beaver.”