The cavernous corridors of a secret CIA facility provide the claustrophobic setting for this tense, nervy thriller. I was gripped from the first ten minutes when the hero carries out some wet work, show's us his moral side and whose actions explain the function of these numbers stations. Cusack has massive appeal as a cerebral hero and he's no slouch in the action stakes either. When his moral code interferes with an assignment, he's given the task of watching over Katherine (Malin Ackerman), a cryptanalyst working at a lonely station nestled in the English countryside. The stars display strong screen chemistry, they're both effortlessly charming and I found them easily convincing. Arriving for their shift, they find the station attacked and the code compromised; the tension shifts up a gear as the two defend themselves and figure out what's going on. The screenplay, which is tidy and uncomplicated, draws to a satisfying conclusion but the ending is a tiny bit long. It's clear that this didn't have blockbuster financing but as a mainstream feature from a fledgling but talented director it compares favourably to many major studio offerings that don't show nearly as much class. Be warned though, this isn't a meat head's action picture with car chases and explosions all over the place.
Review of The Numbers Station
