Snowden movie will make you wonder how much privacy you really have

Movie Title:   Snowden            

Grade:  B

Rating:  R, 134 minutes

In a Nutshell:  Joseph Gordon-Levitt gives a solid, thought-provoking performance in this controversial Oliver Stone biopic of an equally controversial man who affected how we view national security and personal privacy today.  Was Edward Snowden a hero or hacker?

If you don’t know much about Edward Snowden, this film will give you some background, as well as a fairly slanted view.

Uplifting theme: 

•  “The internet is technology that has the power to help everyone in the world understand each other.” – Snowden
• “One man can stop the motor of the world.” – Ayn Rand
• “I’m questioning our government.  That’s what we do in this country. That is the principle we’re founded on.” – Lindsay
• “Sometimes the more you look, the less you see.” - Hank Forrester
• What is justifiable for the greater good?
• Edward and Lindsay visit a Theodore Roosevelt memorial where this quote is etched, “A man’s usefulness depends upon his living up to his ideals in so far as he can. It’s hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed.  All daring and courage, all iron endurance of misfortune make for a finer, nobler type of manhood.” 

Things I liked:

• It’s a fascinating look at Edward Snowden’s life as it moves from being in the military to being recruited into secretive government agencies.  Laura Poitras won an Oscar for her 2014 documentary “Citizenfour”, which has been touted as being more straightforward, while Oliver Stone’s film has a softer touch, designed to inspire.
• It will make you think twice before you click on the terms and policy agreement of web sites and cell phones services. 
• You’ll probably put a small piece of paper on your computer web camera.
• You get to see video footage of the real Edward Snowden at the end, as well as some photographs of him and Lindsay.
• Joseph Gordon-Levitt nails Edward Snowden's voice and physical characteristics.

Things I didn’t like:

• Some good actors play very small roles, such as Shailene Woodley, Nicolas Cage, Joely Richardson, Timothy Olyphant, and Zachary Quinto.
• Oliver Stone paints a picture of an idealistic hero without any flaws.
• It’s truly frightening what is being tracked by many of the governments in the world and the power they have over our lives.
• Oliver Stone sets patriotic music to the moment when Snowden betrays his country and leaks classified information to the press, an interesting choice for reflecting on the First Amendment.

The real Edward Snowden said about this trailer, "For two minutes and thirty-nine seconds, everybody at NSA just stopped working."

Interesting lines:

• “Bombs don’t stop terrorists; only brains will and we don’t have millions of them.” – Corban O’Brian
• “Where is your sin of choice?” – Hank Forrester
• “Ah, computers.” - Snowden

 Well then, Snowden.  You’ve come to the right little whorehouse.” – Hank Forrester

• “No matter what justification you’re selling yourself, this is not about terrorism.  Terrorism is the excuse.  This is about economic and social control.  And the only thing you’re really protecting is the supremacy of your government.” – Snowden

Funny lines:

• “Why do you want to join the CIA Corban O’Brian

“Ah, frankly, Sir, it sounds really cool to have top security clearance.” – Snowden

• In the movie, Snowden is asked about influences on his life.  He answers, “I’d say Joseph Campbell, Star Wars, Thoreau, Ayn Rand.”

Tips for parents:   

• Several F-bombs and other profanity.
• This movie is Rated R, because of the F-bombs and scenes with a lady in her underwear, topless photos on a computer screen, and an “exotic” dancer on a pole.
• Nudity during a pretty graphic sex scene.
• Snowden is shown having epileptic seizures.
• Two people shoot birds with hunting rifles.
• Social drinking and smoking.

Allegiant bores with too much CGI

Movie Title:      The Divergent Series: Allegiant

Grade:   D

Rating:   PG-13, 2 hours 19 minutes

In a Nutshell:    Filled with TONS of CGI and special effects, this third installment in the Divergent franchise stretches out the story probably more than it should.

You definitely need to have seen the first two movies in the series in order to understand what the heck is going on in this one.  This isn’t really a stand-alone movie.

Click here to read my movie reviews  for Divergent and Insurgent and be sure to watch the movies in the correct order so they make more sense. 

Uplifting theme: 

•  “Great leaders don’t seek power.  They’re called out of necessity.” – Johanna (Octavia Spencer)
• What do we do when we lose our humanity?
• ‘I don’t know who told you that being different was a bad thing…” –  David (Jeff Daniels)
• “Maybe it’s time to start embracing everyone instead of dividing them into groups.” - Tris Prior (Shailene Woodley)

Things I liked:

• Shaleilene Woodley looks more grown up and beautiful.  Super cute hair cut.
• I liked the concept of the cool bubble things that surround people and allow them to float, although it definitely looked CGI and fake.

Things I didn’t like:

• Everything looks fake.  While “Star Wars Awakens” used a lot of CGI, they were successfully able to create enough real sets that made the scenes truly believable.
• Characters are paper thin.  
• Lots of crowds of extras yelling and shaking their fists halfheartedly.
• “Purify the human genome” sounds a lot like what Hitler was trying to do…
• That’s hilarious that the other side of the wall has such advanced technology, yet a lot of their areas still look like beat up warehouses.
• The chase scene towards the end was super fake and lame.
• Some of the actors seemed as bored as the audience.

Funny lines:

•  “This is fun.  I’m glad we did this.” – Peter (Miles Teller) 

Interesting lines:

• “You are the only one worth saving.” - David
• “Hello.  I come from outside the wall, where we have all but destroyed each other.” – narrator
• "We created factions to create peace.” - narrator    (What kind of logic is that?)
• “Sometimes walls are designed to protect us.” – announcement lady on screen
• “It’s impossible.” – Tori (Maggie Q)       “So.” – Tris

• “People are sheep and they need a shepherd to guide them…and when they resist, they are slaughtered.” – Max (Mekhi Phifer)
• “Why did you go to war with Janine if you were just going to become her?” – Four (Theo James) 

Tips for parents:   

• Point blank shooting in the head.
• You see Shalene’s naked body (silhouette)  in the dark.
• Lots of shooting, explosions, fighting
• Dead bodies on the ground
• No profanity.

See Divergent before you see Insurgent

Movie:  Insurgent

PG-13, 1 hour 59 minutes

Grade:              B

In a Nutshell:  Veronica Roth’s Young Adult Dystopian sequel picks up right where it left off in the first movie, Divergent.  If you haven’t seen it, watch it before you see this second part; otherwise, you won’t understand a lot of what’s going on.  It doesn't work as a stand-alone movie. You can read my movie review of Divergent here.

Uplifting Theme:

·         Sacrifice, forgiveness, fighting injustice

·         “I know you’re angry, but you’re letting it consume you.” – Johanna (the fabulous and underutilized in this movie Octavia Spencer)

Things I liked:

·         Lots of action and cool 3D special effects.

·         It was nice to see Daniel Dae Kim again from Lost - The Complete First Season .

·         I love twists and surprises in movies…

Things I didn’t like:

·         The plot has changed a bit from the books, but if you haven’t read the books, you won’t care.

·         Shailene Woodley’s character (Tris Prior) is either crying or super intense with not much in between.  The only development in her character from the first movie is that she cut her hair.

Interesting lines:

·         “I’m not gonna fight you.” – Tris Prior

“Of course, you’re not.  You’re gonna fight you.” – Jeanine Mathews (Kate Winslet)

·         “It just goes to show, you can take the girl out of abnegation, but you can’t take abnegation  out of the girl.” – Peter (Miles Teller)

Tips for Parents:

·         Some profanity and an implied sex scene between Tris and Four after passionate kissing.

·         1 F-bomb with very little other profanity.

Quick review of the 5 factions from their Manifestos:

Abnegation (The Selfless): “I choose to turn away from my reflection, to rely not on myself but on my brothers and sisters to protect always outward until I disappear.”

Erudite (The Intelligent): “Ignorance is defined not as stupidity, but as lack of knowledge.  Lack of knowledge inevitably leads to lack of understanding.  Lack of understanding leads to a disconnect among people with differences.  Disconnection among people with differences lead to conflict.  Knowledge is the only logical solution to the problem of conflict.

Dauntless (The Brave): We believe in ordinary acts of bravery, in the courage that drives one person to stand up for another.  We believe in shouting for those who can only whisper, in defending those who cannot defend themselves.”

Amity  (The Peaceful): “Give freely, trusting that you will be given what you need.  Do not be angry.  The opinions of others cannot damage you.  Cruel thoughts lead to cruel words, and hurt you as much as they hurt their target.”

Candor (The Honest):  Although Candor values honesty above all else, they also seek to develop impartiality.

       

Divergent movie review

Movie Title:   Divergent

Grade:   B

In a Nutshell:   

This planned trilogy is starting off with mixed reviews, despite its popular book by Veronica Roth.  The Hunger Games and Twilight fans will enjoy another heroine who can kick butt and fight the system while finding time for romance.  Shailene Woodley has been successful in supporting roles, but this is the first time her performance carries an entire film.

I think the ideas are interesting and Director Neil Burger creates a dystopian setting that has holes, yet is still intriguing.

Uplifting theme:   Tris declares “Don’t try to define me.”  The movie is about independent will and finding ourselves.  Jeanine Mathews (Kate Winslet) explains “The system removes the threat of anyone practicing their independent will.  Divergence threatens that system.  It won’t be safe until they’re removed.”  Teens often question where they belong, as if there is only one place that they have to find to be “home.”  This film takes a stab at showing we are multidimensional creatures that need to dance on many floors in order to find balance.

Things I liked:

• I’d love to play Capture the Flag with that glow-in-the-dark flag.  How about playing Paint Ball with those guns that shoot darts that make you feel like you’ve been really shot?
• This movie is full of dangerous stunts that make you want to stand in line to try.  For example, I love that gigantic zip-line that goes through the city.  Do you think Universal Studios will build one if this movie does well enough?  I won’t be jumping onto moving trains any time soon though.
• I thought it was interesting to watch the fears some of the characters had.  Four explains that most people have 10-15 really bad fears.  He has...four.  When Tris can’t run away and her feet move slowly in mud during her “fear evasion” sequence, it reminded me that I had that same recurring dream when I was a little girl.  It’s a terrible feeling to not be able to move forward, whether trying to escape danger or making progress on a goal.
• I thought it was an interesting concept that when people in the movie were injected with a certain serum that their thoughts could be controlled.  Isn’t that called alcohol? 
• I love Shailene’s thick, beautiful hair.
• Cool double infinity mirrors and other special effects.
• Who doesn’t love Ashey Judd?
• I’d like a blue jacket with the stylish neckline that Jeanine Mathews wears.

Things I didn’t like:

• The ending was disappointingly predictable, but I haven’t read the books, so I’m hoping there are more interesting things to come.
• Many of the characters were one-dimensional.
• Those in the Dauntless faction run during most of the movie, yet they’re never out of breath.
• Tris tells Four “I don’t want to go too fast.”  The very next thing you see is her in bed near him.  Huh?

Interesting lines:

• “My mother says there’s an art to losing yourself.” – Tris
• Tris sees the fear in Four’s eyes as they climb up and states “You’re afraid of heights.”  He reveals “Everyone is afraid of something.”
• “Are you even human?” – Four says to Tris as he watches her climb a tower with ease.
• “This isn’t real.”  What an empowering sentence you can say to yourself when you have fear.  Courage is doing what you’re afraid to do.  One of my favorite quotes by Franklin D. Roosevelt is “Courage is not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it.” Later, Tris says “Don’t think.  Just jump.”  I’m wondering if we’ll see that tagline on basketball shoes soon?
• “I think human nature is the enemy.”  Jeanine Matthews   What a terrible thought.  Human nature is what makes us all fantastically flawed, interesting, and wonderful.
• “There is a certain beauty in the resistance, but it’s a beauty we can’t afford.” – Jeanine Matthews
• In Divergent , kids who leave the nest aren’t allowed to go back.  Thankfully, in our world they can.  In this troubled economy, we’re seeing an increase in “Boomerang Kids” as college graduates return home to save money while trying to pay back student loans.  How wonderful that families can pull together and embrace returning kids to get support.  On another level, it’s a great thing that we CAN reinvent ourselves and not be pigeon-holed into one thing in our lives.
• “We train soldiers, not rebels.” – Eric
• “Trust the test; it will tell you where you belong.” – Tori  

Tips for parents:  The language is clean, but there are a lot of dangerous stunts you may need to remind your kids NOT to try.  An interesting dinner conversation with your family might be to ask everyone which faction they would want to join if they had to choose.  Check out this fun Infogram MTV made and check out the Harry Potter comparisons.

In case you need to catch up on reading the series...