Snowden, the Oliver Stone-directed biopic of former CIA employee and U.S. government contractor Edward Snowden, is what our own Vince Mancini calls a “movie-movie.” It’s neither a “good movie” or a “bad movie,” but just a movie and nothing more. Some may find it entertaining, while others wanted more deadly spies and James Bond-esque explosions will probably think it’s boring. But hey, at least it contains some very serious subject matter that its viewers may or may not already know about.
Unless you live in Russia, the real Snowden’s adopted home outside of the United States, where he was charged with theft of government property and two counts of violating the 1917 Espionage Act in 2013. According to the Kremlin itself, Snowden and actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s performance in it are “top quality,” and should be seen by all able bodied Russians:
“[It has] a brilliant script, and, what is most important, it is nearly a documentary,” he said. “This is an excellent opportunity for everyone to learn what actually happened. It’s a must-see.”
The “he” in question was Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, whom Russian news agency RIA Novosti quoted on Thursday. Per the Hollywood Reporter, he advised all Europeans and Americans to see the film as well, which may or may not be necessary for interested parties since Snowden‘s Russian cut supposedly contains an extra four minutes.
What those four minutes entail, however, remains to be seen here in the U.S.
(Via the Hollywood Reporter)
