Director: Oliver Stone Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Shailene Woodley Studio: Open Road Pictures Genre(s): Drama Rated: R (For language and some sexuality/nudity) |
Years ago when Edward Snowden became a public whistleblower
on the NSA spying on the world, I had a funny feeling that it would one day
become a movie that Oliver Stone would direct.
The (at the time) new controversial public figure seemed perfect for the
film maker who was known for tackling controversial subjects. In this case he was gift wrapped someone who
is simultaneously called a hero, traitor, criminal, and patriot (amount other
things). The story also seems tailor
made for Stone because this is a very complicated situation where Snowden can
be either the villain or the hero at the end of the day. After viewing “Snowden” I have a strong
feeling Stone is of the belief that he is a hero and did the right thing, but
he is too much of a creative genius to let his movie move in such a
straightforward fashion.
I must say upfront that while I have read a lot about the
situation and seen the Academy Award-winning documentary “Citizen Four” (which,
ironically, this movie uses as a framing device), I am by no means an expert on
the ins and outs of the facts behind the story.
On the surface some events ring true while some feel more dramatized
than anything. At this point in my life
I have come to expect that film makers like Stone are not making movies to be
objective, but to be subjective. That’s
why I can enjoy “JFK” despite its multitude of historical inaccuracies, and
that is the main reason I can watch “Snowden” with a bit of sanity. Because this is a movie that has great
editing, acting, story twists, and a haunting ending that leaves you thinking long
after the movie is over. To a certain
extent I don’t care if it is true because it plays on our emotions expertly,
which is what the best movies do.
This movie is largely held together by a strong performance
by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who arguably brings the first true human portrayal of
the man I have seen. All the interviews
we see of the real Snowden shows a man who is private and introverted. He was obviously pushed to the edge to do
something he would clearly rather have not done, but he talks in such a stoic
way that it is hard to figure out what his deal is sometimes. In what might be considered a break from
reality, Levitt plays Snowden as a man who cares deeply about his country and
the people around him, who at one point was even a pretty outgoing guy. Only after he starts working for the CIA and sees
how information is gathered does he start to eventually break down and become
less of a man and more of a hard shell that walks around.
Stone makes the right choice to first focus on Snowden as a
person, saving the technical jargon for later on. When we do get to the scenes that describe
how central network servers work they do so in a way that makes it so that
everyone in the audience can understand what is going on. It is the kind of visual imagery that served
“JFK” so well all those years ago, and it is nice to see that same technique
being used for maximum effect here.
There are multiple other characters like Snowden’s girlfriend, the CIA
boss who gives him extra opportunities, and even a nice supporting performance
by Nicolas Cage as a teacher of old computers.
They all support the story in their own little ways, but make no
mistake: Joseph-Gordon Levitt is the glue that holds this film together, and it
is by his performance that the movie has the heart that it does.
What ultimately helps “Snowden” achieve the brilliance it
does is not in whether or not audiences believe in the subject, so much as it
matters whether director Oliver Stone believes in it. And I can assure you he very much does take
this story seriously. This is a man who
during a promotional tour warning people that the government could be using “Pokémon
GO” as a way to monitor your everyday movements. Crazy as the man is in real life, he does
manage to channel that craziness into his art, and that art – whether it is
true or not – is as exciting to watch and study as any other modern art
pieces. Also, Stone actually does
mention time around that this is a dramatization before the movie starts, so
there doesn’t seem to be a reason to hate on the man for his shoddy journalism
at this point.
P.S. I almost forgot to mention that the movie –
for all its political revolving’s – is surprisingly apolitical, as Stone has no
higher an opinion of Obama than he does Bush, and views both our current
presidential candidates with fear and suspicion. After watching “Snowden” I can understand
why.
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CONSUMER ADVICE |
Parents, there is some strong language as well as some sex and nudity. Recommended for ages 17 and up.
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