Snowden Summary & Review
In 2013, a little over six months after Barack Obama was reelected, an ex-employee of the National Security Agency named Edward Snowden leaked a series of documents that revealed the agency breaking the law by spying on the world. This instantly made him one of the most wanted guys in the world. While many people I know consider him a traitor, I consider him a true American hero. He had the courage to reveal the government’s illegal activities when no one else had the courage to. Here’s hoping Obama gives him a full pardon as the last thing he does as president, but until then, here’s what I thought of Oscar-winning director Oliver Stone’s biopic Snowden.
This movie covers the decade leading up to the leak. After being discharged from the military due to injury, Edward Snowden (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) decides to join the CIA and discovers his talent for coding. As he and his girlfriend Lindsey Mills (Shailene Woodley) travel the world, Snowden begins to feel the stress of protecting the NSA’s illegal activities and the stress soon causes him to reveal the truth. It becomes his mission to show what is really going on, even if it means sacrificing his own life.
As I said, I think Snowden is a real hero, so a movie about him had me on board from the beginning. I had the lucky opportunity of seeing the movie at a special national event, which was followed by a live chat with Edward Snowden himself, broadcast from Moscow. I have to say, this is one of the most thrilling biopics I have seen this year. Apart from my support for Snowden, the movie was brilliantly made. I have not seen any other Oliver Stone movies, but this one certainly makes me want to see the others.
I thought the movie was perfectly cast. Joseph Gordon-Levitt was perfect as Snowden. He looked and sounded almost exactly like the real guy, and it was awesome. I also thought Shailene Woodley was great. I don’t remember what Snowden’s real girlfriend looks like, but Woodley delivered a strong performance. All of the supporting cast members were great too.
A lot of biopics I see ended up feeling too long, and I usually get bored, or loose interest. This movie found ways to keep me invested through the whole movie. Between the great performances and perfectly paced scenes, the movie kept my interest.
Snowden has instantly become one of my favorite movies of the year. It is currently tied with Ghostbusters. Before you judge that statement, hear me out. Snowden is a brilliantly made biopic about a person I support. Ghostbusters is a hilarious, action-pack comedy that deserves more than it has gotten. I don’t know which one will take the top, but until then, just know that Snowden is a fantastic movie and one of my favorites of the year.
It is a brilliant review on the movie.