The Fifth Estate

Boo Radley

Couldn't find a thread on this but here is a film with Cumberbatch of Sherlock and soon to be Star Trek fame playing Julian Assange. First image below.

http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2013-01-22/first-look-at-benedict-cumberbatch-as-julian-assange-in-the-fifth-estate



This could be interesting. I wonder how this will play out. Will he be portrayed as an out-and-out persecuted hero/saint or will there be more to it?

EDIT: Here's more info: http://www.movieweb.com/news/the-fifth-estate-photo-with-bendict-cumberbatch-as-wikileaks-founder-julian-assange

vepyewwo

Trailer is out

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZT1wb8_tcYU

JP Liz V1

Not good reviews so far, bar some praise for Benedict Cumberbatch in the lead role as Julian Assange

Maire2009

Went to see it over the weekend and it's a good film - not great - but interesting and will get people thinking about Wikileaks and Assange again.

A lot of it - if not all - came from Berg's book and his take on Assange, and Assange is painted as a obscure, controlling, obsessed character, which he very well may be. Cumberbatch nailed it as Assange from what we see of the man in the media - muted as being in with a shot of an Oscar nod, won't win it though. Film isn't strong enough in my opinion to push him through for the win.

Edit: Just found out Wikileaks (basically Assange) have launched a counter-movie that is free to view for a week in the UK:

http://www.theverge.com/2013/10/13/4833688/wikileaks-release-mediastan-documentary-to-challenge-the-fifth-estate

Nervous Wreck

Cumberbatch has obvious talent but it's not really enough to keep this film afloat. Was fairly crap, unfortunately.

LuckyLloyd

Very cynical to make a film this soon. This needs time, space and reflection before a decent script doing justice to the topic can be produced.

irishash

I would recommend the Alex Gibney doc on Wikileaks - We steal secrets - if you want to see a fairly unbiased take on Assange and Wikileaks in general.

Assange's counter attacks on the Fifth Estate and the documentary are pretty much driven by the fact that he has received no money from the producers of either venture.

Manach

I rather enjoyed it. Assange's personality is done no favours in this, but it does show the valuable work WikiLeaks has done. Cumberbatch delivers an excellent performance.

Jonny7

irishash wrote: »

I would recommend the Alex Gibney doc on Wikileaks - We steal secrets - if you want to see a fairly unbiased take on Assange and Wikileaks in general.

Assange's counter attacks on the Fifth Estate and the documentary are pretty much driven by the fact that he has received no money from the producers of either venture.

As far as I know he wanted nothing to do with either from the get-go

Jonny7

Jonny7 wrote: »

As far as I know he wanted nothing to do with either from the get-go

He was all for Gibney's doc till the moment when he realised that Gibney's wasn't going to simply make a old self serving look how great Julian is doc. When Assange saw that the doc was going to show him in a less than flattering light his entire attitude toward Gibney's changed and he wanted out of the doc. Assange's attitude is that once he realised that neither film was going to paint him as a hero he instantly turned against them. I think that wiki leaks is a great tool but Assange himself is an unlikeable, self serving ass who has turned into everything he supposedly hated. He was a very us vs the world attitude and comes across as someone who would screw his best friend over if it could further his position or earn him a few bucks.