Gives some great insight into one of the most respected, and hated, political figures in U.S. history.

Rating: 8/10 (1 October 2016)

'SNOWDEN': Four Stars (Out of Five)
The new political thriller biopic, based on the life of Edward Snowden. It was directed and co-written (with Kieran Fitzgerald) by Oliver Stone. The script is based on the books 'The Snowden Files', by Luke Harding, and 'Time of the Octopus', by Anatoly Kucherena. It stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt (in the title role), Shailene Woodley, Rhys Ifans, Melissa Leo, Zachary Quinto, Tom Wilkinson, Scott Eastwood, Ben Schnetzer, Timoghty Olyphant, Logan Marshall-Green, Lakeith Lee Stanfield and Nicolas Cage. The film has received mostly positive reviews from critics, and it's performed moderately well at the Box Office. I liked it, but I definitely expected a little more from it.
The movie follows the life of Edward Snowden (Gordon-Levitt); from his time first serving his country (in the U.S. military), until he was labeled a traitor, by some, and a national hero, by others. We see Edward meet his girlfriend, Lindsay Mills (Woodley), and we also see them struggle through a hard relationship (which was mostly due to the troubles of his job). We see the conservative computer professional join the CIA, while profoundly loving his country, and then feel deeply betrayed by it. We then (of course) see him leak classified information, from the NSA, and distribute it to the press; becoming one of the world's most wanted (and admired) men.
The film gives some great insight into the life of one of the most respected, and hated, political figures in U.S. history. I, for one, think he's a hero; and I enjoyed learning more about him. The performances are all good (especially Gordon-Levitt and Woodley), and the movie is always fascinating to watch. It does feel a little unbalanced though, and I was hoping for just a little more emotional depth; the setup is definitely there for it. The film is well made, but it's definitely not as interesting, or compelling, as the 2014 documentary about Edward Snowden 'CITIZENFOUR' (now that's a great film).
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