Even though the film takes place in the future, it is an interesting and frightening look at our own times. It's a combination of 1984 and MATRIX with a 50s-style movie. The fact that we allow ourselves to be told what to think and do is played out in an interesting fashion. The Thoreau-like character sees the facade and learns how to break through. Sean Austin does a great job as the naive innocent who sees into the darkness behind the facade. Christopher Plummer is very effective as the "big brother" who actually has a soul. The film makes us confront the dilemma of whether we want to be "normal" or to be who we really are.