The Atlantis Conspiracy (2001 TV Movie) User Reviews (4)

This film is a rare blend of comedy and drama.

[ts2793 · 5/10 · 24 February 2009]

This Film has a rare blend of comedy and drama. I enjoyed it very much. Jeremy Davies gives absolutely the best performance of his career. He always plays these neurotic weird characters. In this role we get to see his funny, charming and lovable side.

The production is top notch. Great cinematography from Michael Barrett (Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang, You Don't Mess with the Zohan, Takers), the 2001 New York City captured looks both beautiful and mysterious. Especially the final shot of the film that displays the World Trade Center.

Great music from Stephen Endelman (Flirting with Disaster, Evelyn). Also the ending song by indie artist Lizzie West ends the film with a smile.

Yes, parts are a little confusing, but what this film was going for was so different and wonderful, I think you have to appreciate it.

Very good movie -- just wish more people would see it.

Weakly Composed Script Cannot Sustain Viewer Interest

[rsoonsa · 2/10 · 23 December 2009]

An ecologically engaged company, Atlantis, organized and operated by three environmental activists, finds success because of its implementation of principles predicated upon a preached gospel of civic righteousness, but following deaths of two company interns following their exposure to radiation while assisting in the firm's waste site cleanup projects, litigator's expenses in addition to adverse legislative measures directed specifically against Atlantis sharply reduce the company's status and public image, with one of the partners, Jon (Bill Sage), receiving a prison sentence while another, Lauren (Amanda Donohoe) disappears from view, and it is the latter's return to the company fold that forms the germ of the film's scenario. Although a government conspiracy may in fact be afoot, the Atlantis management may also have been involved in devious doings, but a weakly constructed script is so full of holes and lapses in logic that the producers' ostensible purpose of projecting a mood of suspense is defeated early on, while Donohoe's narrow range of acting skill merely accentuates her character's failure to demonstrate the courage of her convictions. Sage is also limited in Thespic ability, but Danton Stone, as the third of the Atlantis partners, does his best with poorly written dialogue; Paul Calderon as an odd FBI agent seems to be playing without direction of any sort. This apparently is also the case with Jeremy Davies, as an ally of Lauren, and whose customary fey mannerisms are uncontrolled, resulting in a twitchy, altogether dreadful performance, certainly his worst, as this is an able player who simply should not be given free rein. Acting laurels clearly go to Adrienne Shelly for her competent turn as company counsel, an underwritten role. Visuals for the production's DVD release, titled THE ATLANTIS CONSPIRACY, are of fine quality and the camera-work and editing are top-flight.

A quite decent movie if lacking in some areas

[TheLittleSongbird · 6/10 · 29 March 2014]

That The Atlantis Conspiracy had a great premise and Amanda Donohoe were reasons enough to check it out, though the low rating gave me a not-sure-how-this-will-turn-out vibe. And while it is far from flawless it is worth checking out. The Atlantis Conspiracy does look great, the locations are brooding and photogenic while the photography is very fluid and stylish. The music doesn't come across as a dirge at all, it does have a sense of pulse and in the more suspenseful it's very haunting. The ending song is a charmer too. The Atlantis Conspiracy is very competently directed and acted on the most part, with the direction at least showing style and a sense of knowing what he was doing and what he wanted to do. Amanda Donohoe and the late Adrienne Shelley give the best performances, Donohoe is commanding and brings out her character's conflicts well and Shelley is a breath of fresh air(but you do wish her role was better fleshed out). Though Bill Sage is not too stiff either and Danton Stone is enigmatic enough as well. Paul Calderon however didn't seem to have a clue what he was doing and Jeremy Davies overplays his character's feyness and twitchiness almost rather effeminate degree. The story is never a dull one even with the deliberate pacing, the mystery elements do have intrigue and there is suspense but parts are convoluted and not just mildly. There are some knowing thoughtful parts in the script, but also some misplaced humour and one too many logic lapses. We could have gotten to know the characters more, the actors mostly do a lot with what they had and they are far from annoying, it's just that you don't learn enough about them and some especially Shelley's and Calderon's are badly underwritten. On the whole, lacking at times but a quite decent movie. 6/10 Bethany Cox

Since when is legal fair!

[sol-kay · 6/10 · 8 March 2008]

**SPOILERS** A bit confusing film about about behind the scenes chicanery involving this government funded environmental investment and managing company called Atlantis Inc.

Atlantis' president and founder Jon Singer has been convicted of criminal negligence in the death of one of his volunteer workers a former Ego-Ranger Francine Dumbrowski. Singer had gotten an engineer's report of the property, which was to become Singer Park, warning him about dangerous toxins in the area; Instead of canceling the clean-up Singer gave the go-ahead. The clean-up resulted in not only Francine's death but that of her fellow Ego-Ranger Teresa Rodriguez as well.

Sentanced to a long stretch in the federal penitentiary Singer took the easy way out by popping something into his mouth, while behind bars, and dropping dead on the spot. This strange and shocking incident happened when Singer's co-partner and founder of Atlantis Inc. Lauren Marcus was talking to him about what to do with the company when he's sent up the river.

Lauren had been convalescing from a major nervous breakdown on her boat for some six years after Atlantis came under government scrutiny. Now recovered Lauren is faced with an even bigger problem, that's not going to help her recovery, in keeping the company afloat with it's top honcho, Jon Singer, no longer around to run it!

Just too hard to follow with among other strange happening in the film a Lazarus inspired scene and some very not so funny antics by Lauren's friend, a numbers and electronic whiz, Flush. The not so well wrapped together Flush seems to be on some kind of mind bending drug, LSD?, during the entire movie!

There's also the third member of the trio of the Atlantis Inc. founders Barry who's involved in something with the late Jon Singer that doesn't come out until late in the film. It's that something that's the big surprise in the movie and almost drives the now recovering Lauren into having yet another major nervous breakdown.

****SPOILER ALERT***Barry meanwhile, without his partner Lauren knowing about it, has been shacking up with Atlantis' attorney Samantha Jacobson and feeding her all kinds of conflicting information about the company that effects her ability to do her job right. Barry's been using, without her knowledge, Samantha to get the company bankrupted so that he and his secret and silent partner, guess who, can end up cleaning up by cashing in and selling off Atlantis, piece by piece, to it's competition.

The movie moves at almost a snails pace with the friendly and helpful FBI agent Guy getting Lauren all the vital information, the engineer's report, that will keep Atlantis from folding . The very vital as well as secret engineer's report in the end screws those who are trying to screw Lauren out of her input in the company by getting her voted off the board of directors.

In the end Lauren and her dizzy friend Flush, together with FBI Agent Guy, get the goods on her back-stabbing so-called friends in Atlantis who were so into their own back-stabbing, of themselves, that they never saw it coming. Lauren & Flush are seen dancing in the streets of NYC to the country & western music of "Dusty Turnaround", sung by Brooklyn born Lizzie West, knowing that after suffering through it for almost 90 excruciating minutes that "The Atlantis Conspiracy" has mercifully come to an end.

P.S The cute smart and very personable Adrienne Shelly who played Atlantis attorney Samantha Jacobson was brutally murdered, at the age of 40, in her office apartment in NYC on the evening of November 1, 2006. Adrienne's on the loose and soon confessed murderer was caught by the NYPD a few days later.