Going from “The Walk” to “Snowden,” Joseph Gordon-Levitt is now two-for-two in starring in narrative films about men whose lives have already rated award-winning documentaries. Who will he play next — Sugar Man? Vivian Maier?
And while it’s not necessarily the actor’s fault, both of these films wind up paling next to the non-fiction version: Oliver Stone‘s “Snowden” does fill in some background regarding whistle-blower Edward Snowden’s past and his work in national security prior to his exposure of just how much the U.S. government spies on its own citizens, but this biopic is never as suspenseful or as stirring as Laura Poitras’ documentary “Citizenfour.”
For viewers who never saw that movie, and perhaps have only a vague idea of who Snowden is, what he revealed and why he did it, then it’s quite likely that “Snowden” will provide an eye-opening experience, since Stone and co-writer Kieran Fitzgerald (“The Homesman”) skillfully guide us through computerese and governmental gobbledygook to get their story told.
That story begins with Snowden (Gordon-Levitt) trying to make Special Forces but getting discharged from the Army instead after injuring his legs. Determined to be of use to his country, Snowden instead applies for the CIA, where his computer skills catch the attention of higher-up Corbin O’Brian (Rhys Ifans, whose Welsh accent occasionally seeps forth), who becomes the young man’s mentor.
Snowden starts dating Lindsay (Shailene Woodley) even though her lefty, anti-war views chafe with his unwillingness to think anything bad about George W. Bush or his military interventions. (Appropriately, the two bond online over a shared love of “Ghost in the Shell,” an anime movie about hackers.)
As Snowden climbs the ranks of the CIA and then the NSA, he’s dismayed to learn that the government is monitoring the e-mails and phone calls of everyone, not just those suspected of terrorism. (Once he learns that the government can turn on your laptop’s camera without you knowing, he starts covering his with a Band-Aid.)
The more he learns, the more he’s horrified, and once it becomes clear that O’Brian has been monitoring Lindsay as a way to keep tabs on Snowden, a whistle-blower is born, taking the film to the events that “Citizenfour” so memorably captured. (Poitras is played here, mostly maternally, by Melissa Leo.)
For a film that’s so politically risky — Stone hasn’t named names and pointed fingers (at both sides of the aisle, incidentally) in a mainstream movie like this for years — it’s surprisingly safe aesthetically. You’d never know the man behind “JFK” or “Natural Born Killers” (or “Talk Radio,” for that matter) was calling the shots on a film with such by-the-numbers editing and cinematography.
Given how familiar much of the audience is with the material being presented, however, that old-school brand of Oliver Stone flash is greatly missed here; sure, he makes people typing on computers more dynamic than, say, Michael Mann did in “Blackhat,” but “Snowden” could have used more visual flair and dramatic tension.
Gordon-Levitt gives, by design, a mostly reactive performance as Snowden, but he’s one of the few characters who’s allowed to have some shading; almost everyone else onscreen is hemmed in by their function of the plot, thus reducing them to one or two personality traits, whether it’s Zachary Quinto‘s barking righteousness as Glenn Greenwald or Timothy Olyphant‘s sleazy CIA operator, sporting the kind of pompadour that ensures you would never buy a used car from this man.
The one performer who turns a supporting role into something resembling a human being is Ben Schnetzer (“Goat,” “Pride”). Playing a character who’s essentially a walking info-dump — Gabriel Sol serves little purpose in the film but to tell Snowden what various surveillance programs are able to do — Schnetzer creates a lived-in hacker geek with engaging charm and a sense of humor, another element this film could have used more of.
“Snowden” will no doubt restart conversations about the morality of its hero’s actions and of domestic spying itself, but it’s also not going to win over any political opponents who unfairly dismiss Oliver Stone as a pedantic scold. As an activist, he’s still armed with powerful medicine, but as a filmmaker, he’s usually better about providing the spoonful of sugar.
The Evolution of Joseph Gordon-Levitt: From Child Actor to 'Snowden' Star (Photos)
1991: Joseph Gordon-Levitt booked a number of roles as a child actor, including guest spots on "Family Ties" and "Murder She Wrote," but his first starring role was on ABC's revival of '60s gothic soap opera, "Dark Shadows." The show, on which JGL played David Collins, only lasted one season.
1994: In "Angels in the Outfield," JGL played an adorable foster child who prayed to God that the California Angels win the pennant so he can have a family again. God answered by sending a pack of angels, led by Christopher Lloyd, to help out the struggling ball club.
1996: JGL began an unforgettable turn as the oldest of four alien visitors scouting out planet Earth disguised as humans (although oldest, JGL's character was disguised as a teenager) in the hit NBC sitcom, "3rd Rock From the Sun." The show lasted six seasons, and ended its run in 2001.
1999: JGL starred opposite Heath Ledger in the Shakespeare-inspired teen comedy "10 Things I Hate About You."
2001: JGL began shedding his squeaky clean sitcom star image by playing a violent and emotionally unstable juvenile delinquent in "Manic," an independent drama co-starring Don Cheadle and his future onscreen love interest, Zooey Deschanel.
2004: JGL continued to receive indie acclaim by playing a reckless male prostitute who was molested by his Little League baseball coach in "Mysterious Skin."
2005: JGL left a lasting impression on viewers as a young, hard-boiled detective in writer-director Rian Johnson's high school noir "Brick."
2007: JGL continued maturing in front of our eyes in another modern noir, "The Lookout," in which he played a forgetful bank janitor with a brain injury who gets lured into aiding and abetting a group of bank robbers.
2008: JGL brought emotional intensity to Kimberly Peirce's "Stop-Loss" as a suicidal Iraq war veteran dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder.
2009: JGL starred in yet another indie, which allowed the rising actor to demonstrate his romantic lead chops. In director Marc Webb's breakout comedy "(500) Days of Summer," JGL played a Los Angeles 20-something who fell in love with a woman (Zooey Deschanel) who doesn't believe in love. He earned a Golden Globe Nomination for Best Actor in a Comedy or Musical.
2009: JGL went mainstream by playing Cobra Commander opposite Channing Tatum as Duke in Paramount's "G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra." The $175 million action movie made enough money to warrant a sequel, but JGL did not return to reprise the role.
2010: JGL went punk rock for the indie drama "Hesher," which co-star Natalie Portman helped produce.
2010: JGL officially became a movie star after taking on the dapper role of Leonardo DiCaprio's best-dressed partner in Christopher Nolan's sci-fi action blockbuster "Inception."
2011: JGL stepped back into comedy by playing a cancer patient alongside Seth Rogen in the dramedy "50/50." The performance earned the actor his second Golden Globe nomination and cemented his ability to play a broad range of roles.
2012: JGL took his career to the next level by helping Christian Bale's Bruce Wayne take on Bane in "Dark Knight Rises," director Christopher Nolan's conclusion to his blockbuster Batman trilogy.
2012: JGL reunited with "Brick" director Rian Johnson to play a younger version of Bruce Willis in the time-travel action thriller "Looper."
2013: JGL added writer and director to his résumé with the release of "Don Jon," a drama about a Jersey boy who must choose between his love of pornography and the love of his life (Scarlett Johansson). The rom-com premiered to rave reviews at the Sundance.
2014: In "Sin City: A Dame to Kill For," JGL played a cocky young gambler who runs afoul of a powerful senator (Powers Booth) who turns out to be his dad.
2014: JGL won an Emmy for "HitRECord on TV," a Pivot anthology series adapted from his online venture for short vilms and video projects.
2015: In Robert Zemeckis' "The Walk," JGL played real-life daredevil Philippe Petit, who crossed between the Twin Towers of NYC's World Trade Center n 1974 on a tightrope.
2016: JGL took on another fact-based role in Oliver Stone's "Snowden," about the notorious whistleblower who leaked classified National Security Agency documents and then fled the U.S.
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JGL has had a spectacular rise to the top of his craft, and doesn’t appear to be slowing down any time soon