Enemy of the State (1998)

Mounted with producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Tony Scott's usual big budget flash, Enemy of the State (1998) is The Conversation (1974), action blockbuster-style. Updating 1970s paranoia for the late 1990s computer/short attention span age, Enemy of the State transforms a story about an innocent man caught in a web of government conspiracy into a prolonged high tech chase through Washington D.C., complete with an eclectic cast of up-and-comers, including Jack Black, Jamie Kennedy and Barry Pepper, as assorted amoral government operatives. With aerial shots and visuals mimicking sophisticated radar, Scott reveals unwitting victim Will Smith's plight with customary flair, eschewing psychological depth in favor of relentless action. While crotchety surveillance expert Brill could be an older version of The Conversation's Harry Caul (especially since they're both played by Gene Hackman), the intrinsic uncertainty permeating that film (as well as The Parallax View (1974) and Three Days of the Condor (1975)) is transformed into a more clear-cut case of evil bureaucrats vs. the wrong man. Still, anchored by Smith's and Hackman's assured performances, Enemy of the State managed to be a notch more thought provoking than the usual Bruckheimer fare and became a respectable holiday season hit. ~ Lucia Bozzola, All Movie Guide