Just imagine…
An espionage, bio-political thriller from controversial filmmaker Oliver Stone that’s actually fair and balanced.
That’s what we have with SNOWDEN, the fascinating politically charged and heretofore untold personal story of Edward Snowden who blew the lid off National Security Agency’s massive surveillance operations.
Set between the years of 2004 and 2013, we follow Snowden’s rapid progression within the CIA and NSA where he became a polarizing wunderkind bordering on genius.
But what he saw and experienced in the process—the NSA abuse—filled him with great doubts.
Snowden’s top secret life had become an architecture of oppression.
“Either I am wrong or there is something in the government that is REALLY wrong!”
What follows chronicles Snowden’s ever building concerns about the procedures and tactics within our government’s most secret and clandestine operations which finally led him to become one of America’s most infamous whistle-blowers.
He did it by leaking highly classified, incriminating documents to Great Britain’s THE GUARDIAN newspaper that revealed massive surveillance operations of both Americans and foreigners.
“This is about social and economic control.”
Controversial? Absolutely.
It almost compares the NSA with the former feared and hated East German Stasi.
Yet what Snowden did makes him in many people’s minds a traitor to this country.
No matter what side YOU take here, SNOWDEN’s assault on cyber warfare—and how he pulled it off—makes for one of the most compelling TRUE thrillers this year.
Snowden fled the United States with hopes of ending up in South America.
But the U.S. government revoked his passport forcing him to seek exile in Moscow where he still resides today.
Snowden’s next fork in the road? His three year Russian residence permit is running out in 2017.
So……….
SNOWDEN the movie is accompanied by a top notch supporting cast including Tom Wilkinson, Nicolas Cage, Scott Eastwood and Shailene Woodley as his ever so loyal and loving girlfriend Lindsay Mills.
Matter of fact, she’s with him in Moscow at this very moment.
However, it is Joseph Gordon-Levitt who really rises to the occasion in the title role by delivering the best performance of his career.
A Best Actor nomination in the upcoming Oscar race is definitely possibility.
And a tip of the hat to director Oliver Stone for keeping Snowden’s ethically-charged story on track without resorting to the type of grandstanding he’s been accused of in the past by critics for previous productions.
“Secrecy is security. And security is victory.”
This is SNOWDEN.
A character study of utter disillusion.
My rating: B
JACK GOES TO THE MOVIES Friday mornings during Kansas City’s Morning News on 98.1 FM, KMBZ.
Sounds good.. Might have to give it a watch at the theater. Does it give the viewer more information on what happened than Citizenfour?
not really
Another fantasy from Stone.
Like Sully, the truth wasn’t interesting enough so they had to make up stuff.