kingrat Posted September 18, 2016 Share Posted September 18, 2016 I imagine a number of people are interested in the new film from Oliver Stone, Snowden. You will not be surprised to learn that Stone sees Edward Snowden as a hero, or possibly a saint. When Snowden leaves for the last time the dark underground bunker in Hawaii where he's been working, he emerges in slow motion into bright light. All that's missing is a halo, or possibly a 1930s angelic chorus on the soundtrack. My spouse says that the film faithfully follows the books he has read about Snowden. This does not necessarily mean they are accurate, of course. The main assets of the film are the important and controversial subject matter and the superb performance of Joseph Gordon-Leavitt, who disappears into the role of Edward Snowden. I was almost never aware of an actor doing stuff; he seems to behave naturally as the character would react. The film successfully moves back and forth between 2013, when Snowden is making his revelations to reporters and a documentary filmmaker in Hong Kong, and the past, from Snowden's attempt to become an Army Ranger (major borrowings from An Officer and a Gentleman), his first encounters as a cyber whiz recruited by the CIA to his growing concerns about the invasion of privacy. Stone keeps WikiLeaks almost completely out of the movie; we see nothing of Julian Assange and only a very brief clip of a woman who says she's a lawyer for WikiLeaks. The film builds up the role of Snowden's girlfriend, played by Shailene Woodley, in an attempt to get more women viewers. (I would have thought women were just as interested in questions of privacy as men.) In any event, it would be easy to cut twenty minutes of scenes which keep making the point that working for secret agencies puts a strain on relationships. I don't think that the scriptwriters, director Stone, or Shailene Woodley intended for the girlfriend to seem as incredibly annoying as she becomes. Perhaps it's because she keeps stopping the movie in its tracks. Tom Wilkinson's performance as a reporter is rather trite--you canna poot all yuir work into yuir Scots accent, laddie. The rest of the cast, however, is strong, especially the other computer geek guys, as well as Melissa Leo as the documentary filmmaker Laura Poitras. Rhys Ifans does a good job as Snowden's CIA mentor. Ifans, and, I suppose, Stone too, deserve credit for not making this villainous character devoid of humanity and sympathy. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laffite Posted September 19, 2016 Share Posted September 19, 2016 Where are the Snowdens of yesteryear? a double allusion , anyone? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr6666 Posted September 19, 2016 Share Posted September 19, 2016 Where are the Snowdens of yesteryear? a double allusion , anyone? here are 16 to start with...... http://www.rantlifestyle.com/2014/06/17/16-famous-whistleblowers-who-changed-history/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laffite Posted September 19, 2016 Share Posted September 19, 2016 (edited) here are 16 to start with...... http://www.rantlifestyle.com/2014/06/17/16-famous-whistleblowers-who-changed-history/ Thanks for posting that ... however, I was on a different wave length and was therefore not very explicit, apologies. It was literary and not important to this thread. (if interested, google it) Thanks, and sorry for the OT disturbance. Thanks for the link, quite appropriate. Edited September 19, 2016 by laffite 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hibi Posted September 19, 2016 Share Posted September 19, 2016 I wanted to see it, but didnt get around to it this wknd. Maybe next. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fedya Posted September 20, 2016 Share Posted September 20, 2016 If I get a half day off work and it's still showing at the local sixtyplex, I may go see it. I went to a matinee showing of Florence Foster Jenkins a month ago, and there was just me and an elderly couple in the theater. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NipkowDisc Posted September 20, 2016 Share Posted September 20, 2016 Thanks for posting that ... however, I was on a different wave length and was therefore not very explicit, apologies. It was literary and not important to this thread. (if interested, google it) Thanks, and sorry for the OT disturbance. Thanks for the link, quite appropriate. wavelehgth is one word. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Princess of Tap Posted September 20, 2016 Share Posted September 20, 2016 Where are the Snowdens of yesteryear? a double allusion , anyone? Où sont les neiges d'antan? Well, I can think of one who married and divorced the Queen's sister. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Princess of Tap Posted September 20, 2016 Share Posted September 20, 2016 wavelehgth is one word. I doan think we're all on the same wavelength here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laffite Posted September 20, 2016 Share Posted September 20, 2016 wavelehgth is one word. Well, at least I spelled it correctly. Look at that monstrosity you wrote. And I hope you have learned how to spell "uncouth' by now. That's a word you will need so long as you retain your political persuasion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laffite Posted September 20, 2016 Share Posted September 20, 2016 Où sont les neiges d'antan? Well, I can think of one who married and divorced the Queen's sister. Qui? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swithin Posted September 20, 2016 Share Posted September 20, 2016 Where are the Snowdens of yesteryear? a double allusion , anyone? Triple, if you count the lyrics to a Noel Coward song. But of course I think The Master knew the Princess and her photographer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laffite Posted September 20, 2016 Share Posted September 20, 2016 Triple, if you count the lyrics to a Noel Coward song. But of course I think The Master knew the Princess and her photographer. How about a couple dozen. Criminy, just looked up the line on Wiki, it has been alluded to many times. Shows how out of date I am. Ah, Francois Villon, grand coup vous avez fait, la ... Je vous felicite. Thanks, Swithin ... short story, about 30 years ago, a bunch of us were discussing Catch-22 and I happen to allude to the allusion of "Where are the snowdens of yesteryear." They all looked blankly at me and I had the pleasure to relating it to them. A little sun there for me. They were not stupids and I was certainly not brilliant, I just happened to remember my French classes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricJ Posted September 20, 2016 Share Posted September 20, 2016 I imagine a number of people are interested in the new film from Oliver Stone, Snowden. You will not be surprised to learn that Stone sees Edward Snowden as a hero, or possibly a saint. When Snowden leaves for the last time the dark underground bunker in Hawaii where he's been working, he emerges in slow motion into bright light. All that's missing is a halo, or possibly a 1930s angelic chorus on the soundtrack. Or a rap song or Right Stuff theme, like other heroic slow-walkers. So, when DID we stop caring about Oliver Stone films? I always put the cutoff date at 1993's"Heaven & Earth", although most say it was "U-Turn" for being so goofy, and "Nixon" was just an isolated anomaly for being good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LawrenceA Posted September 20, 2016 Share Posted September 20, 2016 So, when DID we stop caring about Oliver Stone films? I've noticed this trend in your posts to use the terms "we" and "us" a lot. Who are you speaking for? I certainly hope you don't presume to speak for every other movie fan, or even a substantial majority, or really anyone other than yourself, unless, of course, you are posting for some kind of collective that can only manage a single message board account. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricJ Posted September 20, 2016 Share Posted September 20, 2016 I've noticed this trend in your posts to use the terms "we" and "us" a lot. Who are you speaking for? When you ask "Who's 'we'?", I tend to think of it more like the line from that Trump interview: "You know....Everyone." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LawrenceA Posted September 20, 2016 Share Posted September 20, 2016 When you ask "Who's 'we'?", I tend to think of it more like the line from that Trump interview: "You know....Everyone." So you speak for "everyone"? At least you're not delusional. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricJ Posted September 20, 2016 Share Posted September 20, 2016 So you speak for "everyone"? At least you're not delusional. Not to move the goalposts, but what exactly is your point?: We...sorry, "the general public" does care about Oliver Stone movies in the 00's and 10's, never mind the late nineties? You actually bought a ticket for "Alexander", "W", "World Trade Center" and "Any Given Sunday"?...Seriously?? "Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps", first in line? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LawrenceA Posted September 20, 2016 Share Posted September 20, 2016 Not to move the goalposts, but what exactly is your point?: We...sorry, "the general public" does care about Oliver Stone movies in the 00's and 10's, never mind the late nineties? You actually bought a ticket for "Alexander", "W", "World Trade Center" and "Any Given Sunday"?...Seriously?? So your point is to ridicule people who don't share your tastes? I don't presume to speak for anyone but myself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sewhite2000 Posted September 23, 2016 Share Posted September 23, 2016 Eric J., I actually bought tickets to Any Given Sunday, Alexander, World Trade Center, W. and Savages, I doubt I was first in line for any of them, but that seems to be a qaulifier you're adding merely for melodramatic effect. I haven't checked my local listings, but if I can find it playing anywhere near me, I'll buy a ticket for Snowden this weekend. So, don't include me in your "we". Just wanted you to know someone had actually done that, despite your incredulity. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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