New Film Review: Snowden

SNOWDEN

Directed by Oliver Stone
Screenplay by Kieran Fitzgerald and Oliver Stone
Based on the book by Anatoly Kucherena and Luke Harding
Starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt; Shailene Woodley; Melissa Leo; Zachary Quinto; Rhys Ifans; and Tom Wilkinson




I watched the Snowden Documentary, so going into this I was really not to excited. I felt I have heard all I needed to know about this story. So.....I was pleasantly surprised after watching Oliver Stones film here.......so let me get to it....

Positives:

-The acting I thought was outstanding. I read another review out there saying they found Levitt's  voice grating. Well maybe, but I saw the documentary, and he is pretty close with Snowden's dialect. Levitt is really good in the lead, as is everyone around him. That is what Stone always does right whether you like him or dislike him he cast all big parts and small parts real well, here he even has Nic Cage give one of his best performances in years.
-Speaking of Stone, the man who loves a good conspiracy, he stays to the middle the best he can here and it works. The film is shown as Snowden talks to the reporters, and then we see flashbacks as he explains his decisions. This is where I learned things:
1- How important Snowden was to the Goverment. I really did not pick that up on the documentary. Maybe Snowden played it down in the Documentary.
2-His girlfriend was waaaaaaaay out of the loop. However it seemed like an incident involving her broke the camels back and pushed him to exposure. I saw one review out there that said her part was not needed. I highly disagree. She shows his isolation, and hers, in life and relationship.
3-How often Snowden moved with his job, the job in which kind of made him a hermit, He had acquaintances but nobody really close.
4-Snowden's health was not very strong
-The best thing Stone did was use visuals to explain computer technology. This is a "Talky" and he really does a good job of keeping it clear and interesting and moving.

I always ask myself when I review ....Was I entertained and/or learn something. Well I did learn a lot that is for sure.

Negatives:

-Well as noted before Stone does a good job staying calmly into the middle, however he really does not go further and give us the other side of the story. To be fair we should see the inside, the response, and the effects of what was going on inside.
-Yes this is a "Talky", and that is okay. Yes it could have used some editing as does most of Stone's films. My problem is it needed to spend less time on the front end and more time on the back-end. Snowdens life now. Like his real life in Russia. His girlfriends life now. The government surveillance now and their defense. In other words expand on the documentary.

My opinion on this? I am still not sure. I have noted in reviews past we tend to be extremist these days because that is what sells in the media. Here? Why can't it be both? Maybe he is a hero. I did not know the government can watch me right now as I do this blog. It is strange =Hero. However maybe he went too far exposing government secrets involving national security as well. That puts you and I at risk =Criminal. Both.
Either way. Go see this film. It is well acted and interesting. Sure to stay with you and whom ever you went to the theater with have an interesting discussion during the post movie meal.
4 out of 5 stars.

From the shadows as always thanks for your time.