Review of The East (2013) by Michele N — 13 Jun 2013

Fierce female warriors populate this tale of ruthless corporate titans despoiling the world, pitted against 'The East', an eco-terrorist group seeking to thwart them. Sarah Moss, a sky- eyed, super-intelligent mercenary, acting as a modern day female ' Knight of the Round Table', works for a security company that tasks her with infiltrating the terrorist cell headed by Benjie, a charismatic revolutionary.

Although the story is sometimes constricting, it provides a fresh take on correcting the imbalance of power in a society that has tilted too far in favor of empowering the rich. 'The East' feeds a hunger to check this imbalance.

Sarah is drawn to the outlaws, and Benji their leader who provide an alternative to her sterile and duplicitous existence, where she is a cypher . The movie is thoughtful, and instructive on the politics of corruption, greed, deception and power.

The ending is especially satisfying as the viewer is caught in a whirlwind of pivoting betrayals, that lands on it's feet. There is a linear quality to the characters, a flaw that barely detracts from enjoying the movie, but leaves the viewer feeling a little deflated.