by Diana Vaccarelli
*If you haven’t viewed this film yet be warned this review may contain spoilers!*
As another step in our march through the Awards Season, I went and saw Snowden. This film follows a story some of us are quite familiar with: NSA analyst Edward Snowden and how he leaked the NSA’s illegal surveillance techniques.
THE GOOD:
- The performance of Joseph Gordon Levitt as Edward Snowden is Oscar worthy as he not only got the voice and speaking rhythm right but physically changed into this man. 3rd Rock from the Sun is long gone from him now. Way to go, JGL!
- The writing of this film by Oliver Stone and Kieran Fitzgerald is a thing of beauty. Stone and Fitzgerald bring this controversial news story to life. Watching this film made me think long and hard about the reach our government’s eyes and ears have and how all of us need to fight for our privacy.
THE BAD:
- This film does present a few key questions, but the most important one is this: How authentic is it? Especially regarding Snowdon’s attitude and motivation. Was he a patriotic hero or a traitor? A little bit of both? In terms of humanity, that’s possible; none of us, after all, is all good or all bad. But legally? Morally? Ethically? How can we know? Where can we find facts to support or explode the film’s POV on the matter?
CUTTING TO THE CHASE:
Do you want to see a film that centers around our right to privacy and how we need to protect it? Snowden offers that. But is this entertainment or propaganda? It’s an Oliver Stone film, after all, and this aspect of his track record is mixed.
This time around, the entertainment factor definitely is present. But be careful. If you do not want to be provoked into re-examining some very thorny issues, tread with caution. If you do – this film is a must-see.
Diana Vaccarelli is the TVWriter™ Critic-at-Large and, in case you haven’t noticed, a HUGE Outlander fan. Learn more about her HERE