15 August 2016. This movie isn't so much about science fiction as it is about the geopolitical implications of a potential breakthrough in mathematics that may have world wide national security implications. The audience is dropped into a conference room with very little introduction and there begins an increasingly hostile discussion regarding national secrets among supposedly some of the brightest mathematicians in the United States and a representative of the government. What transpires is mostly a lot of philosophical and moral dialogue, debate interspersed with a few surrealistic scenes that leave the audience wondering what's going on here.

For the most part, the talking heads discussion is an apt description because most of the discussion appears to mimic to some extent what may have occurred during the Cuban Missile Crisis during President Kennedy's administration except with the threat much less imminent. It's hard to get emotional involved in the movie especially with nearly an all male cast, devoid mostly of heart felt emotion and literally mostly focused on rational logic.

The culmination of this movie is perhaps the only real emotional appealing scene, but even so it fails to really capture the angst that so many thrillers have achieved in the past such as Fail Safe (1964),The Good Shepard (2006),Bridge of Spies (2015),Dr. Strangelove (1964),Breach (2007),Transcendence (2014),and The Machine (2013).

If you want to get an easy handle on this film, think of "12 Angry Men", only with math and computer science geniuses. The structure is similar - 5 individuals, one room, a heavy discussion about one topic, with most of the group one of side of the issue, trying to convince a lone hold out. (That's oversimplified and not entirely accurate, but that's close).

It takes some very good actors, and some very good film making, to keep a viewer's interest up for something like this, even if the viewer understands the concepts and implications of what's being discussed and what's at stake. (Quick summary: a break through in decryption and search technology that can find and punch through previously trusted data-protection schemes like a hot knife through butter.) I credit the actors and director here with a very good job indeed of working through the exposition heavy script and keeping the energy up, and I credit the screenplay with translating some very chewy IT and math concepts with a minimum of jargon and a serious attempt to accurately convey what's going on.

I liked it. I wasn't especially happy with the ending (I am not sure any ending would have satisfied me),but I liked it. I might even watch it again sometime, just to appreciate the craft and polish that went into what was essentially a stage play put on film.

I hate these narrative movies where the whole movie is guys sitting around talking.

OK, I admit, I only made it 2/3 of the way through before I had enough, but nothing in the last 1/3 could have salvaged it.

It's a movie about some prominent mathematicians who develop a major breakthrough that has all sorts of potential applications. Most of the movie is them sitting around with their government supervisor discussing the project in generalities and also discussing the confidentiality restrictions they must adhere to.

That's it? Yes, that's it. Maybe this review can spare some people 1+ hour of their time.

I had enough time left to try one more movie. I watched Colorless Green, and it was a great antidote.

But I can't let Travelling Salesman go without one more potshot. I strongly suspect that any actual mathematicians would find this movie as ludicrous as i did.