Oliver Stone’s biopic attempts to capture one of the most talked about events of the 21st century. This almost-spy-thriller is based on Edward Snowden, a computer programmer made infamous by his role in the exposure of the National Security Agency (NSA)’s privacy-breaching surveillance program. The film aims to document his life – from his early days in the Army Reserves to the events that led to his eventual exile from the United States.
Although the movie attempts to capture the gravity of the NSA’s surveillance practices and its implications on Americans as well as those around the world, it ultimately falls flat. Throughout the movie, the weight of Snowden’s decisions and actions felt light and inconsequential, perhaps due to the fast moving timeline of the movie. Major moments that drove Snowden to leak the classified NSA documents were many – each not having enough time to develop, leaving everything feeling fragmented. Perhaps Snowden would have benefitted from a longer run-time or a more focused script, as pacing was a significant issue. Only towards the end did I begin to (sort-of) feel the pressure that Edward Snowden had faced.
Another glaring problem I had with the film was Joseph-Gordon Levitt’s portrayal of Snowden, particularly the way he speaks. I did not have an issue with his mimicry of Snowden’s monotonous pattern of speech; however, JGL’s Snowden “voice” was terribly inconsistent and dropped in and out throughout the movie. Personally, I found this quite distracting. Likewise, the talents of Zachary Quinto and Timothy Oliphant were completely wasted (although Nicolas Cage’s brief appearances on-screen were excellent and by-far the most unexpectedly enjoyable parts of the movie).
Despite my complaints, Snowden is not a bad movie at all. It is worth a watch, especially if your knowledge on the NSA surveillance scandal is minimal to nonexistent. Snowden serves as a solid foundation for gathering the basics of 2013’s biggest story and may even spur its viewers to learn more.
