Oliver Stone paints a thrilling and realistic portrait of one of our generation's most controversial figures.

Rating: 7/10 (18 September 2016)

"Snowden" recounts the many events leading up to Edward Snowden's decision to expose several NSA secrets to the world, and the aftermath of that exposure.
The film is essentially a drama/conspiracy thriller with a core focus on the protagonist's relationship with his love interest. In many ways, "Snowden" reminds me a lot of "JFK" - another Stone film. Although I don't think this film compares to "JFK" in terms of excitement nor gravitas (nor being as technically jaw-dropping), I still enjoyed "Snowden".
Joseph Gordon Levitt is nearly perfect as Snowden. He not only has his voice and manner of speaking down but he also explains complicated technical jargon as if it was second nature. Throughout Levitt's brilliant performance, we see the hardships of Snowden's life gradually subtly take a toll on his character. Simply put, I felt sympathy for Snowden.
Shailene Woodley gives a powerhouse of a performance as Lindsay Mills, Snowden's girlfriend. She's introduced as a fun-loving, relatively carefree photographer in the beginning but becomes increasingly estranged as the years go by and her boyfriend constantly leaves her in a shroud of secrecy. She acts as the perfect foil to Levitt's slightly awkward/consistently conflicted Snowden. This is by far one of Woodley's best roles.
The rest of the ensemble cast isn't nearly as memorable as the film's two leads, but they give believable performances. I do want to give an honorable mention to those who play the team assembled by Snowden to leak his information - Melissa Leo, Zachary Quinto, and Tom Wilkinson. Their realistic portrayals of Poitras, Greenwald, and MacAskill act as a driving force in elevating the film's dramatic tension.
The story jumps back and forth from Snowden's past to Snowden conspiring with his team in a Hong Kong hotel room. The structure is easy enough to follow for just about anyone but the pace may be insufferably slow for most viewers. The film takes its time to explore the different time periods of Snowden's employment within the CIA and NSA. We see him learn (and in turn, we learn) about the different programs used by the NSA and just how invasive and threatening they can actually be.
The emotional core lies in the increasingly shaky relationship between Snowden and Mills. JGL and Woodley have fantastic chemistry, but the film goes a little too far in drawing out their characters' relationship problems. At some point, their ups and downs repeat and slow the film down to a crawl a result.
"Snowden" couldn't have been released at a better time. In a time of strong political turmoil, Stone's film reminds viewers to reevaluate Snowden's actions, mass surveillance, and your right to privacy. The film serves as a counter to how the government and mainstream media wants you to perceive Snowden.
"Snowden" is far from being one of Oliver Stone's bests (the main problems being its uneven focus, pacing, and duration) but is a well-made film that's visually compelling and thoroughly researched. It won't be able to hook everyone in but it will certainly make them shudder.