Review of The Fifth Estate (2013) by Thomas W — 02 Feb 2014

The Fifth Estate is a dramatic depiction of what should be a most interesting and exciting string of events when the sensationalistic WikiLeaks website came to be world-renown under the cunning eye of white-haired, secret-sharer Julian Assange (Benedict Cumberbatch - 'Sherlock').

The film begins with a more amateurish Assange and colleague Daniel Domscheit-Berg (Daniel Bruhl - Rush) scurrying about gathering resources and stories to expose high-level manipulation and corruption at some important European conglomerates.

After they score their first major win against a Swiss bank, they aim their sights even higher ... which became the story all those who are well-informed know about. The story should be an exciting one but director Bill Condon (Twilight: Breaking Dawn, Kinsey, Dreamgirls) fumbles the story and roll-out and instead makes the film almost as exciting as a lop-sided Super Bowl.

The first half of the film is pretty much a yawner ... but it picks up more in the second half (when it is almost too late). This film appears to be an attempt at a character assassination more than anything else as Assange comes across as a deranged sociopathic egoist who cares for nobody but himself.

Co-starring David Thewlis (Harry Potter), Alicia Vikander (Anna Karenina), Carice Van Houten ('Game of Thrones") and Dan Stevens ('Downton Abbey'), The Fifth Estate isn't the film this complicated story deserves.

Those of us who read the news know there is more to this than what we are given here ... it is disappointing although these actors are all good in their parts.