Anyone in Britain has recently enjoyed a few months worth of "tsk tsk-ing" about China and the lack of allowed protest at the summer Olympics yet here were are in a society where the police about terrorist legislation to arrest protesting grannies. I... (read more) Anyone in Britain has recently enjoyed a few months worth of "tsk tsk-ing" about China and the lack of allowed protest at the summer Olympics yet here were are in a society where the police about terrorist legislation to arrest protesting grannies. In a rural field.

I liked this film. The producers got the key interviews and met the key people involved with many of the famed recently moments of outrageous British liberties issues.

There are approaching 5 million CCTV cameras in Britain watching citizens. Want some perspective? 20% of the CCTV cameras ON EARTH are in Britain. Considering that Britain occupies 0.2% of the worlds land mass that is really outrageous.

http://www.newstatesman.com/200610020022

Next up for our society are new technological means of "engagement" such as directional micro-phones and facial recognition software.

This leaves the filmmakers wondering if Britain is the "Perfect Prison", which has some resonance here. However too few politicos are interviewed for this film until the the loose cannon (with a huge axe to grind) Claire Short laughably weighs in. HAHAHAHAH. That current London Mayor Boris Johnson is allowed to waffle on about the history of British civil liberties is a massive (if funny) error.

Overall, this is a very timely and interesting film. Do you recall that Tony Blair and George Bush were jointly nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize? haha. Amazing.

What are your liberties? Do you know? Most people speak of freedom of speach, but there is no dissent when Walter Wolfgang famously while shouting "non sense" during Jack Straw's speech at the Labour Party Conference. According to Chris Atkins’ doc... (read more) What are your liberties? Do you know? Most people speak of freedom of speach, but there is no dissent when Walter Wolfgang famously while shouting "non sense" during Jack Straw's speech at the Labour Party Conference. According to Chris Atkins’ documentary, thats exactly why the Labour goverment has been able to secretly remove them, in order to make Britian a police state.

Focusing on the Terrorism Act of 2000, which was passed to “protect” the people of Britain, Atkins uses interviews with victims and people punnished for seemingly nothing. The cases brought up by Atkins are numorous, and are hard-hitting. From a bus-load of protesters being re-directed home, to the elderly ladies being arrested for being “near” (miles away) an American Base, the examples are clearly emotionally aimed, to strike at our cores and rouse the audience.
Which is the problem. Explicitly partisan, Atkins’ polemic gives little or no voice to its opponents and borders on agit-prop in its desire to expose. While it may expose, it offers no positive voice for its enemy, and the possible good actions the Act has had on our public safety in the UK.
The film is also flawed in the sense that it uses two narrators and some arguments are flawed, even with the edvidence before the audience.

However, despite this, the film serves as a calling-to-arms and the passion behind the film cannot be understated and the lack of slick, entertaining actually supports the film’s rawness. As such, while flawed, the impassioned, angry attitude of rebellion inspires, rather than denies.

Interesting documentary about how the New Labour government has eroded our civil liberties since taking over in 1997. Presents itself as the British answer to Fahrenheit 9/11, and it's not quite as slick. Presents a very unbalanced argument too, offe... (read more) Interesting documentary about how the New Labour government has eroded our civil liberties since taking over in 1997. Presents itself as the British answer to Fahrenheit 9/11, and it's not quite as slick. Presents a very unbalanced argument too, offering little in the way of the other side for discussion.

It's got one or two interesting elements (the Ricin plot being the one that stood out the most in my mind), but other than that, the film presents nothing that was new to me. Which is slightly disappointing - the point of the documentary, in my opini... (read more) It's got one or two interesting elements (the Ricin plot being the one that stood out the most in my mind), but other than that, the film presents nothing that was new to me. Which is slightly disappointing - the point of the documentary, in my opinion, shouldn't be merely to summarise what is already widely known, but to illuminate things that aren't. As an executive summary of the erosion of civil liberties in the UK, the film is very good. As entertaining, illuminating, mindbending documentary, it falls rather flat...

Not so much a conspiracy theory as blatant facts on the public record, presented to you for your consideration. Loses half a star because some of the editing isn't totally objective.

Inspiring, pretty well done political documentary with lots of shocking content and plenty of motivating calls to action! Pace is occasionally off but I never started to cringe (e.g. as I do sometimes in Michael Moore documentaries).

Provocative, but justifyably so. For anyone interested in global politics, fascism, Big Brother societies or simply worried about their personal freedom... Well worth watching.

Brings up important points, uses some good examples. However very one sided, does really give depth or carry investigative weight as ingores anything that doesn't fit the attack it wants to make. However there are points here that do need to be taken... (read more) Brings up important points, uses some good examples. However very one sided, does really give depth or carry investigative weight as ingores anything that doesn't fit the attack it wants to make. However there are points here that do need to be taken notice of.

I think this is an important movie for everyone to see. The extent of certain infringements on civil liberties were unknown to me prior to seeing this, and I feel rather shocked and saddened after seeing it.

I thought this was a well put-together film, overall. It's very clear where the filmmaker is coming from (whether you like it or not) and what exact issues he is addressing in every section. Though Atkins claims he only wanted to make a film that wou... (read more) I thought this was a well put-together film, overall. It's very clear where the filmmaker is coming from (whether you like it or not) and what exact issues he is addressing in every section. Though Atkins claims he only wanted to make a film that would shock people into reacting, I would have liked, still, for some more talk with experts to theorise about different directions the UK might go in the future. After all, when this film was made, Blair was on his way out.