The East

Plot synopsis:
Jane, an operative for the private intelligence firm Hiller Brood, is assigned by her boss Sharon to infiltrate The East, an underground activist, anarchist and ecologist organization that has launched several attacks against corporations in an attempt to expose their corruption. Calling herself Sarah, she joins local drifters in hitching rides on trains, and when one drifter, Luca, helps her escape from the police, she identifies the symbol of The East hanging from Luca's car mirror. Sarah self-inflicts an arm injury that she tells Luca was caused in the escape so he can get medical attention for her. He takes her to an abandoned house in the woods where members of The East live and one of the members, Doc, treats her cut.
Sarah is given two nights to recover before she must leave the squat. At an elaborate dinner involving straitjackets, Sarah is tested and fails. Exposing how selfishly she and many others live their lives. Sarah is caught one night when spying by the deaf Eve and has a conversation in sign language with her. Sarah tells Eve that she is an undercover agent and threatens Eve with jail if she stays with the group; Eve leaves the next morning. Sarah is recruited to fill the missing member's role on a "jam," which is an old fashioned term for a direct action. After seeing the effectiveness of the pharmaceutical jam, compounded by her growing attraction to charismatic Benji (Alexander Skarsgård), Sarah gradually questions the moral underpinnings of her undercover duty. Sarah reluctantly participates in The East's next jam and comes to learn that each member of The East has been personally damaged by corporate activities. For example, Doc has been poisoned by a fluoroquinolone antibiotic and his neurosystem is degenerating. The East infiltrates a fancy party for the senior executives of the pharmaceutical company responsible for Doc's poisoning and puts a strong dose of the risky antibiotic into everyone's champagne. The East announce this action via YouTube and over time one executive's mind and body begins to degenerate as a side effect of the antibiotic, revealing publicly the extreme risks of the drug.
Another East member, Izzy (Ellen Page) is the daughter of a petrochemical CEO. The group uses the father/daughter connection to gain intimate access to the CEO and forces him to bathe in the waterway he has been using as a toxic dumping ground. This jam goes wrong when security guards arrive and shoot Izzy in the back as she and the others flee. Back at the squat, because of his poisoning, Doc's hands tremble too much for him to perform surgery on Izzy. Sarah offers to do it for him and he tells her what to do. She manages to remove the bullet from Izzy's abdomen, but Izzy dies and is buried near The East's house.
Even though Sarah and Benji have grown closer and Sarah implores him to just disappear, he insists that they go together to complete the final jam. Sarah refuses at first but finally gives in and the two begin a long drive, during which Sarah falls asleep. When she awakens, she realizes that Benji is driving her to the Hiller Brood headquarters outside Washington, D.C. He reveals that he has always suspected her of being a Hiller Brood operative, and that Luca also thought this, but brought her in as a test. Benji wants Sarah to obtain a NOC list of Hiller Brood agents all over the world, which will be The East's third and final jam, to "watch" them. Having successfully obtained the NOC list using her cell phone's memory card, Sarah runs into Sharon in the hall. She confronts Sharon about the firm's activities, thus revealing her new allegiances. Sharon has Sarah's cellphone confiscated as she leaves the building. As Hiller Brood was sharing information about their activities with the FBI, The East's hideout is raided and Doc is arrested. He sacrifices himself to ensure the getaway of the remaining members. Sarah tells Benji she's failed to get the NOC list. Benji reveals he means to use the list to expose publicly all the Hiller Brood agents. Since they are undercover, however, it is likely they could be killed. Sarah chooses not to go on the run with Benji. She and Benji part at a truck-stop as Benji heads out of the country. In truth, Sarah has the NOC list (because it wasn't on her phone, she'd swallowed the memory card instead). It is clear that her time undercover with The East has changed her. The film ends with an epilogue of her personally contacting her former coworkers (those undercover) and attempting to demonstrate what nefarious corporate crimes Hiller Brood clients want to protect. She hopes to change each operative's mind about their undercover activities and perhaps join her in ecological activism. She is paying tribute to the things The East believes in and attempting to make a difference in her own way, without causing harm to anyone.

Tags: suspenseful, neo noir, violence, tragedy, revenge, sentimental

Review:
The East tells its message straight and clear and understands that most will agree with a majority of its ideas, but never loses sight of the story and the characters its wants to portray.The East follows an operative for a PI firm who is handpicked to infiltrate an extreme anarchist group who focus their sights on major corporations for the crimes they have committed on humanity.
It never allows itself to succumb to any political wash-over, but instead takes a side for the characters and where they stand as people that manages to invest us in the emotional elements rather than just straight ideals.Brit Marling plays the operative at hand and also co-wrote the screenplay with up-and-comer, Zal Batmanglij.
They both worked together and the equally excellent Sound of My Voice last year and its apparent that they have continued to build their ground in their respective fields, each finding a voice to be heard away from the mainstream flow.The East is simply just a solid, taut and investing thriller that values telling the story of its characters, while keeping the political stance to the side and also having fun tangling the audience up its in web..
The film follows Jane Owen (Marling), an undercover security agent, as she leaves behind her doting boyfriend (Jason Ritter) to infiltrate an eco-terrorist group known as The East, who have publicly targeted massive corporations for their covered-up crimes against humans and nature.
In between reports to her icy, amoral boss (Patricia Clarkson), Jane slowly grows fascinated with the group, its morals and goals, and its core (Alexander Skarsgard, Ellen Page, Shiloh Fernandez, Toby Kebbell), observing with a mix of horror and infatuation as they execute their violent "jams" on the corporations' key members.
I saw the film at a festival where Batmanglij gave a short Q&A after and he revealed that he, Marling, and Page had lived with similar groups (without the terrorism) before and were sympathetic with the East's cause, if not their methods.
it is not that much of a thriller, the action scenes are rather short and don't ask that much of attention and that is what it is meant to be, because the movie target is to show us how Brit Marling integrates in the East, her feelings, her changes in ideas.
Even if The East relies on a pretty original theme — eco-terrorism —, ultimately the movie is just a rather banal infiltration thriller.The start is rather good but the script gradually gets bogged down into flagrant linearity and predictability.
Boredom even shows up during certain tedious scenes at the farm, which by the way completely chop the rhythm.As for the cast, it is pretty good overall even though we are sometimes under the impression that it wasn't fully exploited: Ellen Page, so often excellent, is, for example, totally transparent.The intention was good but the movie turns out to be a lot too clumsy.
Zal Batmanglij's movie "The East" looks at this issue, with Brit Marling playing an agent for a private intelligence firm infiltrating an environmental group that forces CEOs of polluting companies to experience the pollution.People can debate forever whether the group's actions constitute terrorism, and even if their actions are justified whether what they do is the right way to deal with it.
Patricia Clarkson has a role so small in this film, but like a tiny piece of Uranium has a massive impact.Here she is the head of the main character's company, a firm that supplies intelligence for corporations, infiltrating underground groups that act out against companies.In the course of this film, there is a sequence in which our heroine is present when a "monkey wrench" (called a jam) of sorts is about to happen and a large number of people are about to be badly treated.
She then calls Clarkson with concerns about the event about to take place mere minutes (like nearly seconds), Clarkson has a response that is the essence of corporate evil.In this one, brief line, Clarkson nails Corporate Swine Person as well as if not better than Gary Cole in Office Space or Paul Reiser in Aliens.Overall the film is well made, well directed and has Ellen Page in it.
Business Week's site has a good summary article on their business model.Also: every review I've read seems to think the female lead's terrorist love interest, played by Alexander Skarsgård, is the group's leader, despite the only slightly subtle dig at that expectation the movie provides, when the infiltrator calls him the leader and gets surprised looks, after which the Ellen Page character is shown to exercise the most influence.
I think his script actually said: "Let's see how we can make Brit Marling look good." She looks fine but her acting didn't move me nor did the talent around her really come into their own.Ellen Page and Patricia Clarkson were supposed to be real baddies, but in what I saw of the film, they didn't make my back hairs stand up.
Especially when we know where you live." Sarah (Marling) works for an elite private intelligence firm and her new assignment is to infiltrate an anarchist group that attacks major corporations.
While it is not his first outing in the directors chair, it is by far his most well polished work thus far.Brit Marling ("Arbitrage") plays Jane, an operative for a very deep pocketed elite private investigation firm that is sent out to infiltrate the group as Sarah.
What she finds is a well polished and close knit group of like minded people, most of which have a very personal interest in the anarchist movement that is The East.Alexander Skarsgård ("True Blood", "Battleship") completely sheds his inner vampire for this role, and does an extraordinary job portraying Benji, the cautious and scarred Zen like commander of this leaderless pack of renegades.Ellen Page ("Juno", "Inception") takes hold of the reins of Izzy, a protective and very defiant young woman who does not take kindly to the uninvited introduction of Sarah into their little family.The actors do an absolutely outstanding job creating unique and likable characters.
There are zero weak links in the chain of actors in this film, even the supporting cast all do an outstanding job peeling back the curtains and giving the viewer a glimpse at what it is like to run rampant upon the corporate world with revenge and retribution fueling the fires of well conceived chaos.Most of the film takes place in and around an old half burned down home in the forest, which the group uses as it's temporary headquarters while the carry out their Jams (attacks).
When Jane (Brit Marling), an operative for a private intelligence firm gets assigned to go undercover and join a group known as The East, her world is soon turned upside down.
The only place where there could be more wood is in an Ikea factory.I don't know what movie some of the other reviewers were watching but for me this was a complete and utter waste of time.The plot was like a watered down drink and the acting like "claymation".I wouldn't have thought it possible, after suffering through a plot so unbelievable, but these people managed to put together a finale that was so bad it made me wonder if any of the financiers had even read it.
An undercover private security agent is sent to try an infiltrate an eco-terrorist group called The East who have been targeting big money corporations whose actions have caused death and destruction.
However, the agent finds much common ground with the group during her time with them and she subsequently begins to turn to their cause.The East is a film that asks its audience to question who really the villains are.
'THE EAST': Four Stars (Out of Five) Director Zal Batmanglij and actress Brit Marling once again team up for this eco-thriller about an ex-FBI agent (now working as a operative for a private intelligence firm) who infiltrates an anarchist group known for rebelling against (and staging attacks on) corrupt pharmaceutical corporations.
She takes an undercover assignment, from her boss Sarah (Patricia Clarkson), which has her tracking down an eco-terrorist group known as 'The East' and pretending to become one of their members (so she can provide information to Sarah, in order for Hiller Brood to secure their investments with their corporate clients).
Where a film deals with the lead character's motivation, sympathies, and thinking while infiltrating a group with a mind-set the opposite of her own, I would think that you would have to put it together EXTREMELY well in order to ensure the audience's full involvement and belief.Even the exchanges between Brit and her boss were exceptionally captivating and genuine.
We wanna root for Sarah the agent played well enough by Brit Marling but she just doesn't feel developed enough and her actions often come across a bit confusing and since she is the films main focus the more interesting characters that occupy the group such as Izzy played by a solid Ellen Page, Doc played by a likable Toby Kebell, Luca played with a seductive androgyny by Shiloh Fernandez and Benji played solidly by the handsome Alexander Skarsgard aren't given the focus their characters and performances deserve even more time spent with Sharon, Sarah's boss played by the always dependable Patricia Clarkson would have been better spent.
First of all, kudos to this attractive actress for the path she's taking in her career and for getting her writing on film.The story concerns Sarah, an undercover operative for a private intelligence firm with corporate clients headed by Sharon (Patricia Clarkson).
She is assigned with infiltrating a group of anarchists who go after major corporations in very dramatic ways that will get the malfeasances of the companies made public.Sarah finds herself attracted to the leader, Benji (Alexander Skarsgård), who heads a group consisting of Izzy (Ellen Page), Doc (Tony Kebbell), Thumbs (Aldis Hodge), Eve (Hillary Baack), and Tess (Danielle MacDonald).
I really like the actress Brit Marling, and I've seen Another Earth & Sound of My Voice.I think she's got a very good rhythm to her, and she's certainly on the up.This film was flawed by having filler at various moments, or unusual and generally not relevant or useful side tracks.It's quite a nice film though, could have been improved in execution, but it's a good sign of talent from an up and coming writer.I think given the time needed, she could write some real classics in due course..
film has an interesting n contemporary concept..its about the actions of a radical group against the atrocities of the private firms/co./org (its inspired by Anonymous Hacktivist I guess)..it was good..it could have been huge(that's the word this flick is missing) BUT makers ruined this opportunity they made it like a dull TV movie...except for its cast(they have done a nice job) & the film leaves you unsatisfied in the end(forget detailed display it doesn't even give you the whole picture)...BUT overall its not a bore filmits WATCHABLE ...if you have nothing else to watch.
The story concerns an undercover agent (co-writer, producer, and star Brit Marling) who infiltrates an eco-terrorism group on behalf of her corporate boss (Patricia Clarkson in another chilly role), but who finds the group's support system and goals more engaging than her own, even while some of their methods, that involve harming others, repel her.
As the FBI moves in on the group, she must choose between her loyalties to her old life and the allure of the new life, knowing that whatever path she chooses involves a compromise.While all the actors do a good job, I was particularly taken by Ellen Page ("Juno", "Inception") as the rich girl turned activist, Jamey Sheridan ("Chicago Hope", "Homeland") in a brief appearance as her father, Toby Kebbell ("Control", "RocknRolla") as the makeshift physician, and Alexander Skarsgard ("Straw Dogs") as the group's guru.Roman Vasyanov ("End of Watch") does a great job with the camera work and the original score from Halli Cauthery ("Unstoppable", "Iron Man 3") and Harry Gregson-Williams ("Chicken Run", "Shrek") manages to supplement the plot without overwhelming it – something I look for in a good film.If the film has a weakness, comparatively speaking, it is with the direction.
Perhaps this film doesn't work as a psychological character study like that one, but there are some weird things going on inside the group, but in a way you sympathize with them despite their "eye for an eye" philosophy.
The East won't be on my list of top films of the year, but it is still highly recommendable watching!Jane (Brit Marling) works for an important private intelligence agency run by Sharon (Patricia Clarkson) and is assigned to infiltrate an anarchist group known as The East.
The promising young artist Brit Marling wrote and stars in this thriller about an undercover FBI agent who infiltrates an environmental terrorist group and finds her convictions complicated when the boundaries between who she thought were the good guys and bad guys become blurred.Marling herself is fairly young, and the film's biggest liability is that it plays like a film written by someone a bit too young and ideal to handle the material effectively.
But overall the film is an engaging one, with a thoughtful and intelligent approach taken where other filmmakers might have opted for the easier sell of the straightforward action movie.Alexander Skarsgaard also stars as the leader of the terrorist group, and Ellen Page, a long way from "Juno," plays one of the group's devotees.
The EastFor anyone who eats out of the garbage: Don't waste your time looking in fat people's trash.Luckily, the freegans in this thriller know where the wasteful folks live.Ex-FBI agent Sarah (Brit Marling) has brought her expertise to the corporate sector - protecting big business from subversives.When her boss (Patricia Clarkson) gets wind of a group of ecological activists calling themselves The East, she deplores Sarah on her first mission as a mole.Adopting a hobo lifestyle, Sarah rides the rails until she meets a member of the anarchist cell (Shiloh Fernandez).Over time, Sarah convinces him to take her to their leader, Benji (Alexander Skarsgård) and his followers (Ellen Page, Toby Kebbell).The East is a compelling exposition of an offbeat subculture enmeshed in political intrigue, eco-terrorism and a superfluous love triangle.
After about that halfway point though the story gained more political focus than thrill focus, which left me disappointed as I really wanted to continue down the eerie curiosity/thrill ride that was set up from the start.I think it might be easy to like this movie if you don't mind momentum shifts, as overall the plot was pretty good.
Again don't get me wrong, the chemistry between Marling and Alexander Skarsgaard as the group leader is good, but its almost too low key a passion to really match the boiling emotion that she's supposed to be feeling and again there are some questions there regarding both of their characters actions towards that last stretch of film that don't quite track with what they had been feeling before--at least again to me it didn't feel like it was keeping in character.Overall its a suspenseful film but one that's ultimately undone by its somewhat vague ending.
The East is not at the same level - due to weaker leading role, above all (Brit Marling gave just a pleasant performance, nothing more) - but some twists in the otherwise predictable plot and especially supporting characters and performances (Alexander Skarsgård as Benji, Ellen Page as Izzy, Patricia Clarkson as Sharon) make the movie catchy to watch, directing the focus away what is happening in large enterprises.
The East follows Sarah Moss (Brit Marling, Another Earth, Arbitrage), a former C.I.A operative who works for an elite private intelligence firm assessing viable terrorist threats against corporate clients.
Sarah is assigned to infiltrate an eco-terrorist group known as The East, an anarchist collective, led by the charismatic yet mysterious leader Benji (Alexander Skarsgård, True Blood).
I really don't have much of any complaints when it comes to the overall films story.Simply put,I was intrigued from the films beginning,throughout the film,to what I thought to be a good ending.I must say though however,that I was expecting more from the Male Leader,played by Alexander Skarsgard.It felt like there should have been more depth to his character & his leadership role-it felt,weak in some way to me.He did do a decent acting job in the film,although,it felt like he was overshadowed either intentionally or unintentionally,by the characters played by Both Ellen Page & Brit Marling.
This film is about a woman who is sent to be an undercover agent by an intelligence company to infiltrate an anarchist group."The East" starts off very confusing, and I just didn't know what was going on.
The East is an action drama starring Brit Marling as an undercover agent sent to infiltrate an Earth First eco terrorist group.
It's not a very satisfying film, and it remains resolutely po-faced throughout, but it's worth a watch for anybody with a real-world interest in this stuff.Newcomer Brit Marling plays an undercover agent who joins a group of eco-terrorists in order to bring them down, but who finds herself being drawn into their schemes and lives.
In The East Brit Marling plays Jane, a former FBI agent now working in the private security sector.Jane has been assigned to infiltrate an eco anarchist group called The East who expose corporate wrongdoing and are escalating their actions.
Despite not knowing a thing about the movie, I was expecting an enjoyable night given the talent in this film (Brit Marling, Alexander Skarsgård, Ellen Page and Patricia Clarkson in particular.) My expectations were exceeded.This film is paced well and picks up speed early on when Jane/Sarah, an undercover agent for a private investigative firm, begins to infiltrate the anarchist group 'The East'.