Flash Movie Review: The East
I treat companies the same way I treat actors and musical artists. In my cycle classes I do everything I can to avoid playing music from artists associated with racist, sexist or prejudiced lyrics or actions. This applies to actors as well; I will boycott their movies, not even watching them on DVD or cable. I do the same thing with companies. When I travel, one of my guilty pleasures is to eat at fast food restaurants. Recently I discovered one of my favorite out of state places has discriminated against a group of people. Since I do not have a tolerance for people who are prejudiced, I no longer can visit that restaurant chain. Will it hurt their quarterly sales? Not at all, but I do not care. Morally I cannot purchase anything from them. A group of anarchists in this thrilling movie take things beyond what I have done. Brit Marling (Another Earth, Sound of My Voice) played Sarah, a skilled investigator working for a corporate security firm headed by Sharon, played by Patricia Clarkson (Married Life, Easy A). A radical group called the East has been targeting individuals from large corporations. Sarah’s assignment was to infiltrate the group and expose them. Led by the mysterious Benji, played by Alexander Skarsgard (What Maisie Knew, Battleship), the group was cautious around her before revealing their true purpose. This mystery was well thought out, building up the tension as Sarah delved deeper into the group’s activities. Brit worked on the script with the director, creating an intelligent, thought provoking story; I enjoyed watching this film. Ellen Page (Inception, Juno) as Izzy and Toby Kebbell (RocknRolla, Wrath of the Titans) as Doc were exceptional in the roles they played. Having seen Brit’s previous movies and now this one, I am impressed with her writing and acting abilities. She is certainly creating a smart body of work for herself. This action drama only reinforced the beliefs I have regarding certain public individuals and corporations. There were a couple of scenes where blood was shown.
3 stars
Posted on June 12, 2013, in Drama and tagged 3 stars, action, alexander skarsgard, anarchist, brit marling, drama, ellen page, jason ritter, mystery, patricia clarkson, thriller, toby kebbell. Bookmark the permalink. 8 Comments.
Great prelude. We have similar philosophies, However, based on what I gathered from the trailer, it seems like one of those “eye for an eye” vengeance flicks. Is it?
I try to give as little info on the movie as possible, so the elements of surprise can remain intact. But since you have been so kind, I will say it is a thread in the fabric of the story.
I apologize for putting you on the spot. After I posted I realized it was not an appropriate question for a review. I would have edited had that been an option. I had just been in a lengthy debate related to the subject matter and was still in debate mode when I read your review. If you would like to delete my comments, I won’t be offended in the least.
Thank you for taking the time to reply and for your graciousness. =)
There is nothing you have to apologize for to me. I appreciated your comments.
Interesting opener. I think I’m going to give this one an actual shot at theaters. Thanks for the insights!
My pleasure and please let me know how you liked the film. Thanks for leaving your comments.
Haven’t heard of this one. Will check it out!
Sadly, it only played for a short time at the theaters. If you get the chance to see it, I would enjoy hearing your thoughts on it. Thanks for coming by and leaving your comment.