Directed by:
Oliver StoneCinematography:
Anthony Dod MantleCast:
Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Shailene Woodley, Melissa Leo, Zachary Quinto, Tom Wilkinson, Logan Marshall-Green, Scott Eastwood, Nicolas Cage, Timothy Olyphant (more)VOD (3)
Plots(1)
When Edward J. Snowden tore the veil from the NSA's secret global surveillance program, he simultaneously opened the eyes of the world and closed the doors on his own future - giving up his career, his longtime girlfriend, and his homeland. The only safe place is on the run. (Wild Bunch Distribution)
Videos (11)
Reviews (10)
"I think I'm free because I don't have to worry about tomorrow. I'm happy with what I've done today." - When watching Snowden, anyone with a modicum of judgment has to realize what a fucked up world we live in. Oliver Stone handled the highly publicized scandals with dignity. His film is quite a clear and in many ways disturbing statement about the state of contemporary society. (85%)
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A highly sensitive topic where I can't imagine anyone other than Oliver Stone taking on such material. He has a knack for portraying films set against a journalistic or political backdrop with a keen eye for detail, making the audience reflect on what's happening on the screen. The film itself tries to come across as very thoughtful and intelligent, so expect a lot of terms that might leave you puzzled about their meaning. On the other hand, the film also focuses a lot on Snowden's character, his inner struggle, and his thoughts about what is right and what isn't. I didn't understand all the tech jargon, but Oliver Stone presented the film in a way that it didn't really bother me in the end. A few times during the viewing, I felt the urge to destroy all my electronic devices—the glimpse under the metaphorical lid can open the eyes of many viewers, including mine. That's why I have to appreciate the real Snowden—such courage is rarely seen. Joseph Gordon-Levitt wasn't intimidated by this role and delivered one of the best performances of his career so far; I also appreciate Rhys Ifans as the CIA higher-up. It's an interesting film that brings to life the story of a man who wasn't afraid to open a dangerous Pandora's box. For me, it gets 80%.
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In the end, I didn't mind too much that Oliver Stone glorifies his hero quite unreservedly and once again (yet like almost always) makes a sharp rebuke of a malevolent American administration. In fact, the film stands on pretty solid ground and, given Stone's usual tendentiousness, is moderate within reason. Yes, it's much more of a political statement than a "real person's story," but you simply can't teach old Oliver new tricks. It's worth mentioning, though, that cinematically it's once again an extravaganza, and I'm still very much enjoying that engaging visual style of Stone's. Incredible work with camera filters. A nice 4 stars.
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Oliver Stone is a very more experienced director, I like his U-Turn and Savages a lot, but after a four-year hiatus he returns with a mediocre film. At first I was more or less very satisfied, I like Joseph Gordon-Levitt a lot, but here I stopped enjoying it after an hour. As soon as the film started to deal with politics it went to shit, at least for me; on the one hand I don't care about it and on the other, I don't care about American politics at all. Finished with a slight suffering, Snowden himself is an interesting personality though.50%
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Oliver Stone remains just as critical, slightly caustic and interesting. I'm a little worried that this patriot won't be doing anything more than dissecting American’s biting problems, and that's a bit of a shame (the glorious and "differently" conceived Alexander). On the other hand, Snowden is an interesting subject, decently handled and easy to grasp for an ordinary viewer unfamiliar with the case – even a complete illiterate can understand what is happening in the film and what is related to what. For die-hard political scientists and would-be pundits, however, it may not be the right fit, It's not pure documentary style, they wanted it to be good to go to the cinema and the purpose is fulfilled.
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