JEANNE’S REVIEW

RELAY premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival almost a year ago. It’s a “high-concept thriller” with a nasty twist. Directed by David Mackenzie from a screenplay by Justin Piasecki, the film begins with a great deal of promise that unfortunately is not sustainable because of a ludicrous changeup deemed as clever.

Riz Ahmed stars as Ash, a high-level fixer, who is also a recovering alcoholic. He brokers settlements between potential whistleblowers and the corporations they are trying to expose when things become too dicey. It involves large sums of money and precise planning.

When Sarah Grant (Lily James) learns of her company’s corrupt use of a dangerous genetically modified wheat --- and prior to being fired --- she gathers as much information as possible. She plans to bring her findings to light, but before she can expose their nefarious plans, Sarah is subjected to life-threatening occurrences.

She seeks help from a law firm which, at one time, aided whistleblowers in their efforts. Since they are no longer in that business, she is given Ash’s contact information. He utilizes a slick service for the hearing impaired called Tri-State Relay. He types his messages on a device for the deaf which are then read by Tri-State to his clients. All of this is to protect his identity in every way possible.

Ash has very strict rules which all his clients must follow. If not, he will walk away for his own safety. But when Sarah has a few minor infractions, cries and begs forgiveness, Ash breaks his own directives --- leading to dire consequences.

It’s the little things in RELAY which add up to its demise. Why would someone like Ash, who runs such a high-stakes operation, suddenly let his guard drop? He’s never met Sarah --- they only speak through Tri-State Relay --- until he allows them to speak on a burner phone. He searches her profile on social media and lingers on her personal photos. She asks if he’s lonely. All of these are examples of how Piasecki’s script falls apart --- and it’s maddening.

Ahmed and James are clearly the stars here. Ahmed is really quite brilliant as the “fixer” who needs fixing himself. His clandestine moves set the pace for this thriller --- and RELAY is thrilling --- up to a certain point. James is initially believable as the frightened, harassed whistleblower who just wants her life back. As the movie progresses, she becomes less so.

There is a twist that neither David nor I saw coming. I’m sure most will not. But when one tries too hard to be diabolical, it can backfire. So for me, RELAY was ruined. And please, PLEASE can we stop having the bad guy hesitate before shooting. I have complained about this ridiculous phenomenon in films many times --- it’s just incredibly annoying. If you’re going to shoot someone --- just do it already!

Opinion: Don’t Bother!

DAVID’S REVIEW

Despite some obvious flaws in the new thriller, RELAY, the movie contains enough suspense and some quite interesting sequences to warrant a recommendation. The story also features a major twist that most viewers, if any at all, will not see coming.

Riz Ahmed stars as Ash, a fixer who protects corporate whistleblowers who no longer want to expose their company’s secrets. His key rule: he must never meet or speak directly to the whistleblower client for everybody’s protection.

Sarah Grant (Lily James) is convinced the genetically modified wheat her company has produced will physically harm many thousands of individuals. She describes her complaint in detail to Ash through regulated phone discussions managed by Tri-State Relay operators. Ash falls into the trap of initially investigating Sarah’s background, including the attractive woman’s photo, and then desiring to meet her against his own rules.

In the meantime, corporate henchmen, led by Sam Worthington as Dawson, follow Sarah to retrieve the documents she has stolen. They are also predisposed to inflict physical harm, if necessary. Much of RELAY involves Sarah, with Ash’s help, avoiding her pursuers.

As I mentioned, some of the obvious flaws have derailed this film for Jeanne. But I can overlook the flaws because of the fine portrayals by Ahmed and James. When Sarah converses through the afore-mentioned operators, she must follow up everything she utters with “Go ahead.” I found myself anticipating this every time Sarah spoke into her phone. It’s a small point, but it does exemplify how viewers may get immersed in the escapade.

As RELAY progresses, some moviegoers might be asking themselves if they would have the courage to be a whistleblower. In Sarah’s case, she regrets her actions and just wants to return to her normal life. Not so easily achieved once the process is set in motion. The film is directed by David Mackenzie from a screenplay by Justin Piasecki.

Opinion: Wait for VOD