Fifth
Estate
Daniel “My New Favorite Actor” Bruhl stars as Daniel Berg
– an IT manager who is disaffected by the corporate world and
looking for some new excitement or something to believe in (like 99% of
those who work in the corporate world). He becomes a fan of WikiLeaks,
an organization started by Julian Assange (Benedict Cumberbatch) to
give whistleblowers the chance to expose corruption and illegal
behavior by posting documents and proof online.
Assange is a charismatic fellow, and he convinces Daniel to join the
group as one of many volunteers committed to changing the world, but
they soon find themselves facing difficulties as WikiLeaks grows in
popularity and comes across its biggest ethical challenge yet, the
exposure of documents from the U.S. State Department revealing
information about the war in Afghanistan and covert operatives around
the world.
What will this mean for WikiLeaks and the friendship between Daniel and
Julian?
Back in 1995, I remember a review of The Net starring Sandra
Bullock (I remember lots of stuff with Sandra Bullock). It was either
Siskel or Ebert who said you can only get so much excitement and
thrills from watching people type on a computer. That’s the big
challenge for director Bill Condon in The Fifth Estate, and he
fails to live up to the challenge.
Condon and the team valiantly try to bring some visual flair to the
movie by giving the audience a virtual look at WikiLeaks as an
imaginary office where each character has a desk, but it’s not
enough. It becomes a very talky movie about lots of BIG issues, but
nothing all that compelling, which you can also blame on screenwriter
Josh Singer. He won’t leave Aaron Sorkin quaking in his boots.
Sure, Condon and Singer bring us some discussion about the new media
vs. old media, the thrill of these internet cowboys taking on the world
in a communications revolution, the good guys exposing the evil bad
guys, and more familiar themes, but just making proclamations is not
discussing it or creating dialogue that will stimulate our brains and
hearts. Even when delving into journalistic ethics, the audience is
left to wonder why we should care, and most don’t, especially
since the big issues being discussed are presented in a murky fashion
at best.
The Fifth Estate is so much better when it
focuses on Assange, and the great performance by Cumberbatch. When
Condon and Singer dip their toes into Assange’s background and
prickly personality, The Fifth Estate begins to become slightly
interesting. We want to know what makes this guy tick and act the way
he does with the grandiose statements, some lying, some persuasion and
strained relationships he has with the people who actually like him.
This might be the one reason we don’t start to snooze.
Cumberbatch proves to be a chameleon with yet another character.
It’s good to see someone else will be able to do it when Daniel
Day Lewis decides to retire (could you see Cumberbatch as Theodore
Roosevelt?). The combination of Cumberbatch’s coolly outcaste
behavior and Bruhl’s intensity and the way he captures
Daniel’s naiveté as a true believer almost saves the
movie.
The Fifth Estate is a snoozer.
The Fifth Estate is rated R for language and
some violence.
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