Disconnect

    This new ensemble drama loosely connects individual stories of characters unable or unwilling to connect in the new millennium. Cell phones, iPads, laptops and the internet all play important characters in director Henry Alex Rubin's cautionary tale.

   The film stars Jason Bateman (serious for a change), Hope Davis, Paula Patton, Alexander Skarsgard, Andrea Riseborough, Frank Grillo, Michael Nyqvist and Max Thieriot. Everyone is excellent in their roles, whether they are parents dealing with disaffected teens, a reporter who oversteps her boundaries to get a story, or a couple trying to cope with the loss of their child.

  Mr. Rubin is heavy handed in making his point. The movie is filled with internet chat superimposed on the side of the screen or text messages going back and forth. Facebook pages reveal more emotion than characters can express in person.

Everything going wrong in our society today is consolidated by this microcosm of disconnected people. It's a serious drama that can leave you depressed. However, there is a glimmer of hope at the end that reminds you it's not to late to change the way we live our lives in the 21st century.