Film review: abusive behaviour is the result of Compliance

COMPLIANCE
Starring: Ann Dowd, Dreama Walker, Pat Healy
Director: Craig Zobel
Category: IIB

"It is the first responsibility of every citizen to question authority," the great American thinker Benjamin Franklin once said. But not everyone steps up to rage against the machine. Filmmaker Craig Zobel explores this thesis, based on a real incident, to devastating and uncomfortable effect in Compliance.

It's a busy and frustrating day at the fast food restaurant run by Sandra (Ann Dowd), a middle-aged woman who's just been berated by the delivery guy. Someone left a fridge open overnight and a lot of bacon spoiled, so new supply was needed quickly. "It's your job to manage this s***!" the short-tempered driver shouts.

Now, a corporate inspector is possibly dropping by anonymously. Sandra already has her hands full when a call comes in, supposedly from the police. The officer claims a young female employee has stolen money from customers and she needs to be detained and questioned.

It's not really a spoiler to reveal it's a prank call. But like most water-treading mid-tier wage-earners eager to please their boss and obey corporate regulations, Sandra does what she is told. She takes aside pretty teenager Becky (Dreama Walker) and proceeds to do exactly what the caller says, barely questioning the legalities of the request, or the logic of it.

So gradually, detention turns to strip search, and strip search turns to more outrageous violations and assault. Certainly, Compliance is not easy viewing. A lot of raw nerves are touched in its stark, almost documentary approach. At overseas screenings, people have walked out.