As late-summer thriller “Relay” (Bleecker Street) opens, whistle-blower Hoffman (Matthew Maher) is meeting in an NYC diner with pharma bigwig McVie (out actor Victor Garber) for a transaction arranged by fixer Ash (Riz Ahmed).
The deal being made secures Hoffman’s life, while guaranteeing that the pharma psychos can continue their evil bidding. With one catch: a copy of Hoffman’s complaint remains in a secure place, unless something happens to him, with Ash (whom Hoffman has never met) acting as his representative.
Ash’s next client is Sarah (Lily James), a scientist formerly employed by a biotech company whose genetic modification of wheat has resulted in “human food chain issues.” Senior management tried to silence her concerns by reassigning, then firing her, and subjecting her to “escalating harassment.” Recommended to Ash by an attorney unable to take her case, Sarah, who simply wants to return the documents she took and move on with her life, has to go through a series of complex steps, involving the utilization of the Tri-State Relay Service, a secure communication facility ordinarily used by the Deaf community.
With her life in daily peril (her car was set ablaze), she follows all of Ash’s detailed instructions, including how to make payment for his services, how to maintain contact, and the arrangements regarding the return of the pilfered materials. As their professional relationship intensifies, and Ash can see her from afar, but she can’t see him, it becomes obvious that he, who is usually detached, may be developing feelings for Sarah.
Complicating matters is the team, led by ruthless Dawson (Sam Worthington), that was hired by Sarah’s former employer to make her life miserable, is turning her into a shut-in and nervous wreck. Nevertheless, Ash is always a step or two ahead of them. Once a deal is arranged for payment and a promise of Sarah’s safety, things get alternately more suspenseful and exciting.
“Relay” has its fair share of tangents, including being Muslim in post-9/11 New York, corporate greed, addiction and recovery, and what essentially comes across as a less-than-subtle mini ad campaign for the USPS. Concluding, as it does, with an edge-of-your-seat, not-everyone-is-who-you-think-they-are, twisted twist ending (that goes on a few minutes too long), all relating to Hoffman and the pharma whores from the first scene, “Relay” gets your heart rate pumping as if you just ran a relay race.
Rating: B+
