Relay (#721)


The movie I saw today was unusual, and although it featured electronics (not one of my areas of expertise), it was interesting and filled with excitement and thrills and suspense and mystery. A young lady in New York City is seeking help. It seems she worked for a major chemical company and came across some documents about a new product that conceivably could kill thousands and thousands of people all over the world. She wants to expose the facts to the proper authority but she says she is being harassed and is frightened. She is referred to an organization that specializes in situations like this and she calls them.  The audience sees who she is talking to—a man who explains he is using relay technology and sounds to her like a woman. Relay is a complex form of communication, but if I could understand it, all of you will easily get it. There's a complex series of negotiations conducted by the relay group on her behalf, which keep getting changed, and the corporation they are negotiating with is stepping up efforts to stop her. It gets more difficult to know who are the good guys and who are the bad, and there are some major surprises. I liked everything about this action packed drama even when I wasn't sure of things. It's complicated but constructed like a suspense film from my younger days. All aspects of the film were first rate and I particularly enjoyed the location shooting in New York City (Grand Central station among many others) and it felt like I was home again. 77% of critics and 89% of audiences gave this one hour and 52 minute film a thumbs up. Well deserved!


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