Director: Oliver Stone
Writers: Kieran Fitzgerald (screenplay), Oliver Stone (screenplay)
Stars: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Shailene Woodley, Melissa Leo, Zachary Quinto
Synopsis: The NSA’s illegal surveillance techniques are leaked to the public by one of the agency’s employees, Edward Snowden, in the form of thousands of classified documents distributed to the press.
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If there’s anything the director Oliver Stone is known for it’s making thought provoking, and provocative films. But more than anything he is becoming especially known for his films that take a firm political stand, and films that have a definitive political viewpoint. Films like JFK, Platoon, Natural Born Killers, we see elements of these divisive and stand off-ish style of film making. And Oliver Stone manages to deliver these punches yet again in his latest film; Snowden.
Snowden is a biopic drama film that surrounds the life of Edward Joseph Snowden. If you are not aware, Edward Snowden was the man who released that the NSA was spying on the United States, and was charged with many different crimes for “blowing the whistle.” The film begins with Snowden, played immaculately by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, discussing what he has stolen and what he has learned with a documentary filmmaker and a journalist in a hotel room. The movie then bounces from this hotel room, to events in Snowden’s life, how he attempted to join special ops, his first job at the CIA, and eventually his glorious entrance into the NSA. Snowden is filled with some miraculous hits, but also some devastating misses. Ultimately making for a solid biopic, re-introducing Oliver Stone.
Let’s start with a miss, the film first and foremost is grudgingly long. Oliver Stone typically likes his films on the longer side which normally can be fine because he tends to keep us entertained. Snowden is one of the films on the longer side, that does not keep us entertained. With several scenes dedicated to Snowden’s love life, or just pointless interactions with pointless character, the film drags and drags. Usually we can expect this in a biopic, and the insanely strenuous run time is mildly justified by Stone wanting to shovel as much “Protest your government they’re spying on you” into the film. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, the writing in the film is not half bad. The screenplay is well written and all of the actors or actresses deliver their lines incredibly well, just we see the same scenes over and over.
That being said, seeing Levitt act for two and a half hours in a lead role is absolutely marvelous. Levitt has always been an underrated actor in my opinion and I think he finally gets a chance to shine in this movie. Channeling his inner “geek” and showing off his paranoid and anxious side, Levitt is absolutely electrifying in his role of Edward Snowden and definitely deserves some attention from the academy. Levitt carries a good portion of the film on his back and refuses to let Stone’s abrasive visual style outshine his performance. And this makes for some well deserved acting.
Another kind of drag to the film is the score is a bit unnecessary and just unfitting at times. There are some scenes where hardcore techno music plays abruptly in and out. Which does not necessarily fit the scene it’s being used in but then other times instead of letting drama unfold or letting the actors reveal the drama, we receive a score to slap us in the face as if saying “Hey pay attention this part’s important!” The score can be an absolute booster to emotion in a film, and Stone is usually pretty good about when to use it and when not to use it, but this time he fails.
The counter argument to the score making the audience almost feel like idiots is the story does not. The film assumes the entire world knows the story of Edward Snowden, but tells the entirety of the story with exquisite detail anyway. The slightest detail of Snowden’s life or career is not left out and we get to see every angle of it. That being said, the film also does not treat the audience like they are idiots. At times when most film makers feel the need to explain time and time again what is happening or explain a complex piece of storytelling because they are worried the audience won’t understand, Snowden ignores this stigma and just serves us the facts on a silver platter. We receive every bit of information and it is served in a professional and delicious matter.
Oliver Stone returns with his drama biopic Snowden, and he is back and continuing to take the same stance that he typically does. Which is not a bad thing, Stone is good at what he does and he does it effectively. Our thoughts are provoked and we are forced to take a stand. Snowden has a few flaws, but overall the film delivers on it’s punches, guaranteeing a jolly good drama film.
Overall Grade: A-
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Hear our podcast review on Episode 187, coming soon.
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