Google and the World Brain is a fascinating and thought-provoking documentary released in 2013. Directed by Ben Lewis, the film features intriguing characters including Brendan Price, Nicolas Chapman, and Molly Malcolm. The film raises questions about intellectual property rights, the power of big corporations, and the potential of technology to both empower and control humanity.

The focus of Google and the World Brain is Google's audacious commitment to digitize every book in the world. Since 2002, the tech-giant commenced scanning millions of books from leading libraries worldwide - a project christened Google Books. With their ambitious intent to create a global library or "World Brain", Google found themselves vulnerable to numerous legal disputes.

Quality documentary footage, expert interviews, and vintage film material are used to chronicle Google's ambitious project. These materials illuminate the tremendous technological undertaking, offering a behind-the-scenes look at Google’s operations.

Brendan Price, one of the central figures in the film, serves as an eloquent spokesman for the counter-argument against Google’s project. The film brings together a diverse cast of characters, including leading technologists, librarians, authors, intellectuals, and law experts, as they grapple with the implications of Google's endeavor.

Nicolas Chapman, another key character, offers an interesting perspective on Google's quest to make all human knowledge accessible. Meanwhile, Molly Malcolm gives voice to the concerns of many authors and intellectuals about the consequences of such a herculean digitization project, questioning who should hold the keys to the world's wealth of knowledge.

One of the primary concerns raised in the film relates to copyright infringement. Authors and publishers globally raised their voices against the violation of their intellectual property rights. This backlash eventually led to a class-action lawsuit against Google in 2005. The film does an excellent job of illustrating the complexity of this issue, exploring it from multiple perspectives and raising questions about the nature of knowledge, ownership, and power in the digital age.

Furthermore, Google and the World Brain delves into the ethical aspect of Google's grand design. By centralizing the world's knowledge, does this embolden them with an unprecedented level of control over the information? What are the implications of one corporation holding a near-monopoly over the access and distribution of global knowledge, and what does this mean for privacy and the future of democracy itself? These questions strike at the heart of contemporary conversations about the power of big tech, making the film a deeply relevant viewing experience.

This documentary also explores the project's more profound philosophical implications. The title "World Brain" was derived from H.G. Wells' prediction of a globally accessible collection of all human knowledge, which would not only improve worldwide education and communication but also help in creating world peace. The film draws these parallels to the underlying utopian ideals behind Google's grand scheme, but also leaves viewers with a certain dread of the dystopian possibilities lurking behind such power concentration.

Google and the World Brain is about more than just a technology project. It probes the intersection where technology meets society, examining the impact on everyday lives when a single corporation wields such power. As such, it may interest viewers who are curious about the social implications of technology and the shifting sands of knowledge, power, and control in our digital age.

The visual style of the film is engaging and complements the narrative's pacing. The combination of expert interviews, historical footages, and cutaways to Google's digital processing operations provides a wide lens view of this multifaceted issue.

Overall, Google and the World Brain is an impressive, intellectually stimulating work that presents a balanced critique of Google's search for comprehensive knowledge. The film effectively threads the line between technological advancement and respect for individual rights and privacy — a conflict that defines our digital era. Regardless of their previous knowledge of Google's book-scanning project, viewers will no doubt be engrossed and potentially alarmed by this in-depth exploration of one of the most significant technological undertakings of recent history. Through its well-crafted narrative, the film invites viewers to contemplate the world's collective future in the hands of tech giants.