Review of The East (2013) by Heychrisfox — 16 Jun 2013

A solid thriller! This is especially interesting for folks who are interested in environmental or political issues that tend to fall out of the public's radar in our global conversation; it features hints of anarchism, freeganism, and anti-capitalism. An ex-FBI agent, now working with a shady private security firm that prevents corporate espionage, attempts to infiltrate an eco-terrorist organization. Pretty standard plot, but well executed.

The film isn't perfect. There are a few continuity errors, such as people appearing out of thin air where in the previous scene, there was no mention of their existence. Some scenes feel very rushed, while other scenes can come off as somewhat improbable, almost implausible. It was as if the writers knew what they wanted to do, but panicked whenever they had to wrap scenes up, and simply bundled those scenes into paper balls, finishing them hastily and throwing all the loose ends and knots together into a clump. This forces the viewer to unravel the confused logic of the filmmakers in certain parts, which can be a little frustrating. There is also a gratuitous love scene, so be aware.

This being said, the acting is fantastic. Alexander Skarsgård rocks his role, and Ellen Page has a complex character who would only shine like a star if she was given even more camera time and plot development than she already was given.

The East may not be the best film of the year, but it's definitely worth the movie ticket. Intriguing plot, some excruciatingly hard-to-watch scenes (the good kind), with only minor, forgivable errors. If the filmmakers went the extra mile, and extended the run-time of the film, most of the mistakes would have been smoothed over into a sleek piece of cinematographic art. Instead, you have a solid, unique thriller that touches on topics no other film attempts to tackle, with extremely talented actors and actresses who rock their screentime.