Cypher

Synopsis: Hoping for a more exciting life than the suburban drawl he currently inhabits, nerdy salary man Morgan Sullivan takes a job as an industrial spy at Digicorp, a global computer corporation. Digicorp assigns him the duty of flying to various conventions around America, recording the speeches that are made. But when Sullivan meets a mysterious woman he begins to realize that his job may not be what it seems, as he descends into a dark underworld of brainwashing and struggles to maintain his own identity.
Director(s): Vincenzo Natali
Production: Miramax
  5 wins & 3 nominations.
 
IMDB:
6.8
Rotten Tomatoes:
58%
R
Year:
2002
95 min
Website
317 Views


Planning a vacation, Mr. Sullivan?

No. No. Just - just some

reading to pass the time.

Step ahead, Mr. Sullivan.

You're expected in Room 102.

Down the hall and to the right.

Thank you.

- What is your name?

- Um- Morgan Sullivan.

- Where were you born?

- Madison, Wisconsin.

- Are you a spy?

- No.

Are you an undercover

operator for Sunways Systems?

No.

Were you paid by Sunways Systems

to steal data from

Digicorp Technologies?

No.

Have you ever worked at any

capacities at Sunways Systems?

No.

This is a technology firm, Mr. Sullivan.

If we choose to employ you

as an agent of Digicorp,

you will spy on other corporations,

inform us of their business plans,

research programs, and

counter-intelligence operations.

Thus far, your determination

has been very impressive.

Well, if there is anything more

I can tell you about myself,

anything that has not been

already checked by Digicorp.

Your personal records are fine. You've

passed our neuro-graph five times.

I'll take the test again

if you'd like me to.

You've been married four years.

You live in a respectable neighbourhood.

You've always had stable jobs.

You have an excellent credit history.

No drug habits. No drinking problems.

- You don't smoke?

- No.

No other vices to speak of?

Is there anything else

we should know about you?

Well -- It might

have taken me

quite a while to get to

this point, Mr. Finster,

but now that I'm here, I'm

going to make the most of it.

This is who I am

and this is what I want to do.

The stakes in this line

of work are very high.

Yes, I understand.

It will be like nothing

you've ever done before.

Oh, I'm prepared for that.

You will be sent to

conventions across the country.

You will record the speeches.

That's been made very clear.

You'll have to deceive other people

about what you do for a living.

- Yes.

- Even your own wife.

Yes.

You don't mind lying to your wife?

No.

No, I don't mind.

That was a good one. Move

on ahead to the next station.

- Hello, Mr. Sullivan.

- Hello.

Keep it out of view

until the convention

speeches actually start.

Press the back notch.

You see the flash? It's now on.

Press it again. It's now off.

Easy, isn't it?

And the transmissions are really clear?

Within fifty yards.

Just keep up front for good reception.

Where do the signals go?

Up to our satellite systems,

then back down to our data banks.

I guess the speeches

must be pretty important.

The speeches are not your

concern, Mr. Sullivan.

Just do your job.

Follow our instructions,

nothing else. Do you understand?

Yes, Mr. Finster.

Ready!

Jack Thursby? That's what

you'll be called from now on.

As far as Digicorp concerns,

Morgan Sullivan doesn't exist.

We've never met him. We never will.

- What's he like?

- Pardon?

What's his personality?

He's whoever you want him to be.

Buffalo? Why do they need you

to go all the way to Buffalo?

They want me to tutor them

on that spreadsheet software

I was using at my last job.

And you'll be paid freelance for this?

Sure. Independent contract.

You know, if things work out, there

could be more trips down the road.

I thought we agreed you

weren't going back to work yet.

Not until that position at

my father's firm opened up.

I can do this in the meantime, can't I?

I really need you at

home right now, Morgan,

with me being so busy

with the Williams case.

It's only temporary, honey.

I won't be gone for long.

Hello.

After the convention, you will confirm

the transmission on

your returning flight.

Yes.

Do you remember the

location of the briefcase?

Uh, yes.

Good luck, Mr. Thursby.

We're counting on you.

Thank you.

I left it in the stall.

Something to drink, sir?

I'll have a ginger ale.

- Actually, I'll have a scotch.

- Scotch?

Hmm. Single malt.

- On the rocks.

- Yes, sir.

Welcome to Buffalo, Mr. Thursby.

This is our new mascara line.

- It's hypoallergenic and it's

vitamin enriched. - Really? Mr-

- Fred Garfield.

- Hi. Hi. Jack Thursby.

Fairway Fragrance. Where

are they located exactly?

Uh

- Tulsa. Tulsa, Oklahoma.

You don't say? I've

got family from Tulsa.

You don't have much of an accent.

- I didn't grow up there.

- Oh, where did you grow up?

- I said, where'd you grow up?

- South Pacific.

- I'm sorry, where?

- The South Pacific Islands.

The Tuamotu Archipelago. French

Polynesia. Tahiti. Papeete.

Wow. That's pretty unusual.

Yeah, I plan to go back

there someday when I retire.

Water, sir?

- Thanks.

- Well, see you around, Jack.

Sure thing, Fred.

The conference room will

be open in five minutes.

Good morning, everyone.

My name is Robert Tuttle.

I'll be your first speaker.

I will first discuss shaving

cream distribution outlets

in North American markets.

Let me begin by acknowledging

what has become axiomatic

in the field of shaving

cream distribution.

Mainly that shaving cream,

indeed almost all personal

hygiene products for men,

is what we call fashion resistant.

The overwhelming majority

of shaving cream users

will adopt a brand

and remain loyal to it.

It is especially interesting to note,

the difference in methods

used to penetrate that market.

Because these two methods employed

by the respective companies

really illustrates the essential

strategic choice that faces-

- The Mediterranean.

- Yes.

The Mediterranean is beautiful, of

course; but if it's real sailing you want,

I recommend the Sunda Islands in the Banda

Sea. I was there on a trip last spring.

- Your cigarettes, sir.

- Thank you very much.

Hmm, Cohibas, my

favourite brand. Thank you.

- Oh, I'm sorry.

- Thank you.

Would you excuse me?

Good evening, sir. What'll it be?

Give me a scotch. Single

malt, on the rocks.

You got it.

Haven't we seen each other before?

You'll have to come up with

something more original than that.

I'm here for the convention.

That's fascinating.

- You're in marketing, right?

- Uh-uh. Sales.

- Is there a difference?

- What about you?

I do health inspections

of hotel restaurants.

- That sounds interesting.

- No, it doesn't.

- Do you have an answer for everything?

- Yes.

Rita Foster.

Jack Thursby.

So what do you do besides

travel to dull cities

and talk to women in hotel bars?

- I- - uh- play golf.

- Are you any good?

- No.

- Honesty. I like that.

What else do you like?

No commitments. No bullshit.

- And no rings.

- No rings?

You might want to take yours off?

Oh, I'm sorry.

I'll leave you alone now.

Your transmission came

through, Mr. Thursby.

The signal was clear.

I can do something else on my next trip.

I think I'm ready to

handle a bigger assignment.

We'll be sending you

to Omaha next Wednesday.

Omaha?

You'll perform the same job

that you did in Buffalo.

Omaha? Why can't they

find someone in Omaha?

Why do they need to fly you all the

way out there? It doesn't make sense.

Morgan.

Morgan, are you listening to me?

Since when did you ever care about golf?

You're not going on this

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Brian King

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Submitted on August 05, 2018

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