Absolutely Brilliant!

Fanciful, disturbing, and wildly original, it announces the arrival of a fresh, bold voice in American cinema.

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

It's a movie as timely as it is provocative and amazingly, for much of its running time, it is weirdly funny.

The problem is this; If you just make it publicly known that; "Your information is being surveilled", without really digging deep into the ramifications of such an invasion, the public won't care, much like the more recent Facebook scandal. What I'm trying to say is, news feel like just news, not reality. News feel like that 30 minutes with adverts in between, like a TV show."Verizon is hacking into all your phone calls" is interpreted by the public as; "Sure, but not my phone calls". I mean here we are, "reviewing" on IMDb without a care as to what is being tapped into.Films like Snowden and The Big Short, and and and, are important and more than just movies. Their topics are difficult to articulate perhaps, but, they transcend entertainment.As a film however, Snowden was sluggish at points, but I do feel it did put in a concerted effort to simplify as best as it could, the applications and repercussions of the missions and actions in play.This movie also kept unveiling some pretty serious star power I didn't know it had, and of that star presence, Zachary Quinto was the most quintessential.Some aspects in Snowden were hard to follow; "All this effing intelligence jargon is hurting our brains". That line was so appropriate, true (Hell, it even gave Ed himself a seizure, and they called it "epilepsy") and incredibly funny, that it showed me that Snowden was self aware, however, amidst all that jargon, I understood one thing as it was mentioned; Going to Hawaii was OBVIOUSLY a TERRIBLE idea, if the aim was for Ed to have, "less stress"!!!Like I said, Snowden is one of those movies that, expose a truth that never really dies, no matter how much it's said that it has, and that is significant. And, in this movie, that story is illustrated quite efficiently, though a bit slow at times. 7/10.

I thought this wouldn't make such an impact after Citizen four but this film was able to show many things that were quite vague in the documentary while omitting much that is in it. As a biopic the film struggles in creating the situations in Snowden's life but I believe this works the best as a double bill with the documentary. Perfectly showing the true story directly through the whistle-blower and showing the back stories that lead to this situation. America's thirst to stay as the superpower is quite something that they want the people to stand up for the gun laws instead of problems such as these.Joseph Gorden Levitt never ceases to surprise and Oliver Stone knows how to deal with controversial subjects

Edward Snowden. Some may view him as a criminal for breaking the law and leaking secure information from the NSA, however the film took a more patriotic approach and portrayed him as a hero for revealing this information to the world. It's a very tricky subject. Did he have any right to go against his government and be considered a traitor? Perhaps, if it meant that the public knew that they were being spied on. Privacy is such an integral part of our interconnected lives, so my views may suggest that I agree with Snowden's actions...but as a self-proclaimed critic I shall remain unbiased. As a film, I thought Snowden was actually pretty well executed. Oliver Stone did a great job at balancing Edward's private life with his career which definitely made him more relatable as a character. I really appreciated the technical jargon, as a computer programmer I understood it all and felt like saying "Yes! I could easily become a hacker!". Alas, writing code in film is much easier than in reality...so my genius thoughts were shot down immediately. What really took me by surprise was the cast. ALOT of big names here that I wasn't expecting to see. Joseph Gordon-Levitt was perfect casting, took me a while to tune into his voice imitation of Snowden but I thought he was excellent. Rhys Ifans, Tom Wilkinson, Melissa Leo, Timothy Olyphant, Shailene Woodley (who's chemistry with Gordon-Levitt was slightly underdeveloped) and the one...the only...Nicolas Cage. Yes, stop what you are doing and gasp in revelatory excitement...Cagey boy, is in a good film. I thought the dramatic moments were tense, the plot was educational...all the elements for perfection were there. I just felt the structure was too basic and familiar. Nothing extraordinarily groundbreaking. It's a functional biopic and it succeeds in what it sets out to do. I couldn't help but think this was similar to The Fifth Estate...just better. Overall, an enjoyable basic biopic that addresses an important issue.

"Snowden" is Director Oliver Stone utilizing a Restrained, Laid Back, Contemplative Template, that is Against-Type. Known for His Hyperbolic, In Your Face, Frenetic Visuals and Extreme Editing Techniques, Stone chooses a more Cerebral Approach to the Whistle-Blower and His Outing of the NSA Meta-Data-Surveillance. Edward Snowden Uncoveres the beginning of a "Dragnet on the whole world." The Film is Anchored by Joseph Gordon-Levitt's Smooth and In-Skin Performance while Surrounded by Responsibilities that are so Severe His Epilepsy Emerges as He is on a Trajectory that can't be Stopped.The Enormity of the Consequences of both Edward Snowden and the Governmental Agencies "Spying" on "Everyone" is what is at Stake in this "Real-Life" Story that Modernity has Yet to get a Handle.Snowden's Story is Now Well Known and the Director goes Deep in the Psyche of "Snowden" and His Personal Life as it Relates to the Stresses and Consequences of His Job as a Government Contractor, CIA and NSA Analyst.The Movie can be real Creepy at times, especially when He is with His Mentor Corbin (Rhys Ifans). It is a Suspenseful Film despite the Foregone Knowledge of Events. Oliver Stone, although He is in Unobtrusive Mode, makes much use of Camera Angles and Techniques that are Subtle but Impressive throughout the Film. It's Visceral Effect is Nowhere Near the Director's other well known Films and probably would have been Ill Advised Anyway. As it Stands it is a Compelling, Cohesive (despite the tech stuff) and Completely Satisfying, considering the Scope of the Subject and the United States Government/Citizens Implications of the Still Ongoing and Very Real Daily Headlines.