Now that we’ve entered summer movie season, you’re probably looking forward to blockbusters like “Star Trek Into Darkness,” which comes out this week, or “The Wolverine” with Hugh Jackman (who just finished filming a movie called “Prisoners” in Atlanta), which comes out July 26. Not to mention the frothy “Great Gatsby” remake and action-packed “Iron Man 3,” which have already drawn plenty of moviegoers.
But you might make room in your movie calendar to catch the small but powerful film “Disconnect” before it leaves theaters. It’s currently showing at UA Tara Cinemas at 2345 Cheshire Bridge Road N.E. in Atlanta and Merchants Walk Stadium Cinema at 1301 Johnson Ferry Road in east Cobb.
The indie drama stars Jason Bateman, who has spent time in Atlanta in the past for the much bigger (but not better) films “The Change-Up” and “Identity Thief.” The ensemble production explores the corrosive effects technology can have when people turn to their screens instead of each other and the pernicious power social media can have when people post irresponsibly. If your kid has an Instagram, Flickr, Tumblr, Facebook, Reddit or Twitter account, we really cannot recommend this movie strongly enough.
The cast also includes Paula Patton (“Precious”), Frank Grillo (“Zero Dark Thirty”) and Alexander Skarsgård, best known for his role as the vampire Eric Northman in HBO’s “True Blood.” We got a few minutes on the phone with Skarsgård the other day.
“It felt very personal,” he said of his character, a Marine struggling to reconnect with civilian life as he and his wife endure personal tragedy. “He’s struggling. He’s a very proud man. He didn’t get the help he deserved. He didn’t reach out. A lot of people are going through that.”
The movie is told in a series of interconnected narratives, each story propelled in some way by the dark side of technology.
“I was sent the script and was so floored by it. It was so relevant, so intelligent,” Skarsgård said. “It’s important to stress that it’s not a didactic film about how evil the Internet is. It’s about people who are trying to connect. The Internet becomes a distraction. As wonderful as the Internet is, you can numb yourself.”
About the Author
