THE NUMBERS STATION

I've been indulging in a lot of 80s b-movies lately and I've neglected a lot of newer titles. And so tonight I grabbed whatever was lying on top of my 'to see' pile. It turned out to be The Numbers Station, a new espionage thriller starring John Cusack. He plays a former black ops agent assigned to protest a code operator in the UK. Secret government agencies use top-secret numbers stations to transmit high-security assignments, mostly assassinations and mass murders. When the numbers station Cusack and his code operator (Malin Akerman) is infiltrated they have 2 hours to stop a new code from being launched and also save their own asses. Having no knowledge of this film probably played to my advantage. I had no expectations and enjoyed it. Aside from its location there isn't anything new here and all of the typical conventions are exploited... but its well paced, well acted and mysterious. David Cunningham (Game of Thrones, The Whistleblower) helps anchor the movie with credibility. His role is fairly minor but it's a good one. With some decent shoot-outs and an intriguing concept, director Kasper Barfoed has done an impressive job utilising the one location in a way that saves it from becoming boring and tiresome. Add to that the heightened score, which lifts the suspense and helps deliver a thrill factor.  Cusack is generally hit and miss in the films he makes but The Numbers Station plays to his strengths. Keep you expectations low and see what you make if this one. I'll be keen to know. 

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