Log in / Sign up
 
    Share this page

    Snowden

    Reviewed by
    adamwatchesmovies@

    I enjoyed watching “Snowden”. Finding out about the man behind the news story, admiring the performances, following the bread crumbs to see the bigger picture made it a fun experience. Despite my enjoyment, I can’t help but feel that this could have been a much tougher, more frightening, more impactful film.

    Edward Snowden (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is a patriot through and through. After being forced to drop out of the army, he begins a shining career creating computer programs and data analysis software for the NSA. As his career advances, he learns the disturbing truth about the information being gathered, and it culminates into Snowden leaking reports to the press and becoming a wanted man.

    The best part of this film is the titular character. The success comes from both Joseph Gordon-Levitt and from the complex arc that he’s given to play with. The actor sinks completely into the role. There’s never a moment that’s phony or less than 100% genuine. Even his voice has a certain cadence to it that makes you forget that this is not, in fact, the “real” Edward Snowden. Honestly, had I not known that JG-L was in the film, I probably wouldn’t have recognized him. It makes the 134-minute journey, one during which the man will do a complete reversal, a fully believable one.

    Edward Snowden fascinated me. At first, he's what I'd call naïvely optimistic. He wants his country to be the greatest one in the world so bad that he’s willing to risk his life and give everything he’s got to ensure that what he believes in his heart will become fact. He’s not a fool, he just comes off as wide-eyed and so grateful to be living in a land of freedom that he doesn’t second-guess anything that he’s told… until he realizes what’s really going on. Little things start to chip away until he can no longer ignore what’s staring him in the face. There's great escalation here. I don't want to list them specifically, as that would give away some the best parts of the film, but pay attention to what his girlfriend Lindsay (played well by Shailene Woodley), the people at his job and the higher-ups tell him. It's very well handled. I’ve noticed a slew of films dealing with characters losing or gaining faith over the past few years; everything from the food in “Sausage Party” realizing that humans eat food to “God’s Not Dead”, which featured an atheist converting to Christianity. I realize that believing in your country is not the same as believing in a higher power, but this is the best conversion I've ever seen.

    There's a lot to like throughout. I enjoyed shots reminiscent of George Orwell’s "Big Brother", Nicholas Cage has a small but pleasant role early in the film, Shailene Woodley’s character is also richly nuanced and compelling. Equally enjoyable is the fact that Snowden is not shown as the only one that realizes that what’s going on is messed up. Other people that have to deal with everything from drone warfare to camera surveillance to online spy work express their discomfort. It makes you realize it was only a matter of time before this story broke out. Put this film next to this year’s “Eye in the Sky” and it paints a frightening picture of the evil that’s going on in the world.

    Speaking of “Eye in the Sky”, this is where I have some criticisms. I can’t help but feel that this true story… doesn’t have the impact that it should. The U. S. government gave (and probably still does give) free range to look into people’s emails, phone records, histories, ANYTHING to further "the greater good”. That’s a scary thought. Sure you might be thinking “Well, I don’t have anything to hide” but the film gives you specific examples of how, even if you think you’re safe from being exploited or manipulated, you’re not. This subject has come up multiples times in the past two years. “Ex Machina” and “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” both deal with the evil that could come from this kind of power in the wrong hands… and those are science fiction movies! Why are they more frightening than what happened in real life?

    Despite the fact that we’ve got terrific performances, a compelling story that feels authentic (there are few, very very few moments that felt like they were created for the screen) and plenty of material that makes you think, the film plays it too safe. The ending is too sunny. I realize that the Snowden story is being told to the masses now, that it wasn’t buried, so there's a victory there. That doesn’t mean I should leave the theater feeling like the storm has passed. I can’t help once again but compare “Snowden” to another film, another cautionary tale about the evils all around us, “The Big Short”.

    “Snowden” has the essentials of a good film based on true events. It tells a story worth telling, it doesn't feel artificial and you feel that it does justice to the issues, but it could've been so much more. There’s scary material in “Snowden” that doesn’t quite get covered as much as it should, but for the story and the performances, I say go see it. (Theatrical version on the big screen, September 17, 2016)

    7
    HelpfulNot helpful  Reply
    adamwatchesmovies@  21.9.2016 age: 26-35 2,867 reviews

    Show all reviews for this movie
    Note: The movie review posted on this page reflects a personal opinion of one user. We are not responsible for its content.

    Did you see ''Snowden''?

    There is a problem with your e-mail address and we are unable to communicate with you. Please go to My Account to update your email.

    How do you rate this movie?

    Select stars from 1 to 10.
    10 - A masterpiece, go, see it now
    9 - Excellent movie, a must see
    8 - Great movie, don't miss it
    7 - Good movie, worth seeing
    6 - Not bad, could be much better
    5 - So so, okay if you don't pay
    4 - Not good, even if you don't pay
    3 - Poor movie, not recommended
    2 - Very bad, forget about it
    1 - Worst ever, avoid at all costs

    Please explain. Write your comment here:

    Please choose a username to sign your comments. Only letters, digits, dash - or period. Minimum 4 characters.

    Your age and sex:

    We publish all comments, except abusive, at our discretion.