★★★
A pair of high-frequency traders go up against their old boss in an effort to make millions in a fibre-optic cable deal.
Classification: 15
An interesting character drama that showcases strong performances from Skarsgård and Eisenberg with a compelling storyline of financial espionage. The Hummingbird Project may not have the sharpest focus through its runtime but watching the fibre line being planned and built step by step is fascinating. The level of detail, from land deals to coding and Wall street trading is immense making one wish at times this was a documentary for when the film goes back to focus on the characters you just want to go back to minutiae of the project.
That isn’t to say the characters aren’t enjoyable, Eisenberg plays to his strengths as a Zuckerberg-Esque tyrant, unrelenting to make his dreams reality no matter the cost both human and financial. Skarsgård transforms into his role as Anton Zaleski stealing every scene he’s in as the savant coder who’s key to making the Zaleski fibre line the best option for Wall Street traders. While Eisenberg and Skarsgård are given the meatier content, supporting cast Michael Mando and Salma Hayek round out the cast strongly especially Mando as construction head of the project.
At no point does director Kim Nguyen say that The Hummingbird Project is based on any truth or adaptation of truth which is a testament to the believable world and stakes he establishes in his script and direction. It is entrenched in our modern financial reality where these milliseconds of data decide which companies make hundreds of millions of dollars and how very few people get to reap the benefits from this system. The concept of time is weaved throughout so many aspects of the film, from the projects timeline, Vincent Zaleski’s life expectancy and the millisecond that keeps Anton obsessing over the perfect software. From 365 days to the tenth of a millisecond, Nguyen makes the argument that our hunt for glory and success robs us of the real treasure before us; time.
Anton and Vincent’s life are consumed from within by the project, eating away at them as that millisecond robs them of years of their life. Age-old nature is destroyed in pursuit of that millisecond and while Nguyen loses the subtlety at times especially when the Zaleski’s come into conflict with an Amish settlement it is amazing to see the vast commitments put forth to make this money. The Hummingbird Project is never lacking in thrills or intrigue as it is able to always able to throw another wrench in the works to draw out the tension and timeline for the fibre line.
There are no heroes in The Hummingbird Project, it is a stark clinical look at a world that has such a cruel grip on so many but that so many are unaware of. Eisenberg and Skarsgård take the audience on such a fascinating journey that can resonate on different levels from intellectual to emotional. Nguyen views on modern America aren’t overly cynical but feel darkly realistic as we see how the pursuit of money can destroy everything around it.
Director: #KimNguyen
Release Date: June 14th 2019
Trailer:
Written review copyright ©CoreyBullochReviews
Images and Synopsis from the Internet Movie Database
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