Film Snail

Snowden
Snowden

7.1

Snowden

R·2016·134m

Summary

CIA employee Edward Snowden leaks thousands of classified documents to the press.

Cast

Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Edward Snowden

Shailene Woodley

Shailene Woodley

Lindsay Mills

Melissa Leo

Melissa Leo

Laura Poitras

Zachary Quinto

Zachary Quinto

Glenn Greenwald

Tom Wilkinson

Tom Wilkinson

Ewen MacAskill

Scott Eastwood

Scott Eastwood

Trevor James

Timothy Olyphant

Timothy Olyphant

CIA Agent Geneva

Ben Schnetzer

Ben Schnetzer

Gabriel Sol

LaKeith Stanfield

LaKeith Stanfield

Patrick Haynes

Rhys Ifans

Rhys Ifans

Corbin O'Brian

Nicolas Cage

Nicolas Cage

Hank Forrester

Joely Richardson

Joely Richardson

Janine Gibson

Jaymes Butler

Jaymes Butler

Master Sgt. Robinson

Robert Firth

Robert Firth

Dr. Stilwell

Ben Chaplin

Ben Chaplin

Robert Tibbo

Bhasker Patel

Bhasker Patel

Marwan Al-Kirmani

Edward Snowden

Edward Snowden

Edward Snowden

Christy Meyer

Christy Meyer

Dr. Laurel

Gregory Schwabe

Drill Sgt. 2 Martinez

Patrick Joseph Byrnes

Patrick Joseph Byrnes

NSA Dep. Director Lowell

Jamie Hodge

Jamie Hodge

Coffee Shop Patron / Pedestrian

Mathangi Ray

Mathangi Ray

Mother - Tong Lau Hong Kong

Alan Rusbridger

Alan Rusbridger

Moderator

Stephanie Simbeck

Stephanie Simbeck

Female Drone Pilot

Logan Marshall-Green

Logan Marshall-Green

Male Drone Pilot

Demetri Goritsas

Demetri Goritsas

CIA Supervisor

Rachel Handshaw

Rachel Handshaw

CIA Polygraph Adminstrator

Christian Contreras

Christian Contreras

CIA Psychologist

Parker Sawyers

Parker Sawyers

CIA Interviewer

Michael Benz

Michael Benz

CIA Student

Ken Thomas

Ken Thomas

Warrenton Gate Guard

Nicholas Rowe

Nicholas Rowe

Assistant Editor Guardian

Erol Sander

Erol Sander

Diplomat Party Guest

Anatoly Kucherena

Anatoly Kucherena

Russian Diplomat

Eric Kofi Abrefa

Eric Kofi Abrefa

NSA Tunnel Guard 1

Stanley I. Walker Jr.

Stanley I. Walker Jr.

NSA Tunnel Guard 2

Olga Koda

Olga Koda

Pole Dancer

Alexandra Adomaitis

Alexandra Adomaitis

CIA Trainee Bangkok (uncredited)

Andreas Dubois

Andreas Dubois

Audience

Barack Obama

Barack Obama

Self (archive footage) (uncredited)

Osama Bin Laden

Osama Bin Laden

Self (archive footage) (uncredited)

Hugo Chávez

Hugo Chávez

Self (archive footage) (uncredited)

Hillary Clinton

Hillary Clinton

Self (archive footage) (uncredited)

Sarah Harrison

Self (archive footage) (uncredited)

John Kerry

John Kerry

Self (archive footage) (uncredited)

Michelle Obama

Michelle Obama

Self (archive footage) (uncredited)

Vladimir Putin

Vladimir Putin

Self (archive footage) (uncredited)

Donald Trump

Donald Trump

Self (uncredited)

Al Sotto

Al Sotto

Coffee Shop Patron (uncredited)

Crew

Director, Screenplay

Oliver Stone

Novel

Luke Harding

Novel

Anatoly Kucherena

Screenplay

Kieran Fitzgerald

Reviews

Rangan

Rangan

December 24, 2016

7

**He who became a people's hero by betraying his own nation!**

I had like to begin by saying I'm not an American and I haven't seen the Oscar winning documentary 'Citizenfour'. But I'm very much aware of everything about it through the all kinds of coverages. So my perspective about the film will be true and about the content will be neutral. I have known about what this film dealt since the day it all began. I did not care much, but there are things to concern about it. Like if it is necessary to tap to prevent the serious threats, there's nothing wrong it that. Because, even if they have our private contents, they are not going to publish it or make money out of it. So that makes what Ed did was unethical and betrayal for his own country.

In another angle, NSA's illegal surveillance questionable in many ways, but wrong is only a tiny thing. Because eyeing every single one of us seems wrong, though without examining all, nothing confirms, differentiate between right and wrong. So coming to the film, it was decently made one. The main reason is it was too long and many parts were boring. The theme was powerful like it was a one liner, but the film contents were very weak. Except Snowden passing the security, the rest of the story like why he did, including his personal life, particularly his romance was not good enough to make a film. This is very much suitable for a documentary than a feature film.

But I liked the actors. Joseph Gordon-Levitt was good, but not great. If he gets the Oscars nod, that's only because of the issue which the film inspired by, not because his phenomenal character display. The direction was decent, but not the screenplay. The film is not for everyone, but I recommend it to all as a must see. The main reason why you should watch it is to educate yourself. To learn what they are doing and how. Particularly, you will definitely come to know how to avoid being eyed by the government in a simple way. So that's a good thing than whining over what homeland security does to protect the nation. It is not an inspiring biopic, or a masterpiece, but don't miss it for any cost.

P.S. Whatever the form of the governments, the nations won't stop doing what in this film they said was wrong. Because there's no Edward Snowden in every nation to expose it. In that perspective, the US was really embarrassed for their own man letting them down. The China is the number one in this kind of activity. The point is, these things happening right now or not, but should never come to public notice like that happened in here, never should leave the compound. Suppose if we come to know, we will protect, at least in the democratic countries that's what we do. But not to forget it also safeguards us. That means it is like the stars and planets on the sky that we watch and take notes, but they are untouchable. We only monitor them for threats like asteroids and fractionally thinking about the alien invasion.

_7/10_

Media

Status:

Released

Original Language:

English

Budget:

$40,000,000.00

Revenue:

$37,357,216.00

Keywords

biography
idealism
idealist
national security agency (nsa)
surveillance
whistleblower
political thriller
fighting the system
five eyes