Hammerman Ikon

Hammerman Ikon Film Guide

Snowden
2016
***
Director: Oliver Stone
Cast: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Shailene Woodley, Melissa Leo, Zachary Quinto, Tom Wilkinson, Scott Eastwood, Logan Marshall-Green, Timothy Olyphant, Ben Schnetzer, LaKeith Lee Stanfield, Rhys Ifans, Nicolas Cage

In 2013, Edward Snowden became an international outlaw when he leaked information on how the U.S. government spies its own citizens. The story is framed with scenes in Hong Kong, where Snowden has a secret rendezvous with journalists. In between we learn how he slowly became disillusioned with his work for the CIA and NSA. Oliver Stone's biopic is a captivating and well-acted but somewhat one-sided portrayal of one of the most controversial figures of the 21st century. Laura Poitras' documentary Citizenfour is a superior film. Based on the books The Snowden Files by Luke Harding and Time of the Octopus by Anatoly Kucherena.