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Jan Wahl Movie Reivew: 'The Fifth Estate'

Benedict Cumberbatch & Daniel Brühl
Benedict Cumberbatch & Daniel Brühl in "The Fifth Estate" (credit: DreamWorks Pictures)

 

(KCBS) — KCBS Entertainment Editor Jan Wahl reviews "The Fifth Estate", an exploration of the website WikiLeaks, and its eccentric founder, Julian Assange (Benedict Cumberbatch).

KCBS Entertainment Reporter Jan Wahl:

Jan Wahl Movie Review: The Fifth Estate (R)


 
THE FIFTH ESTATE (R) 128 min

The story of Wikileaks and Julian Assange could have been a fascinating, or, at least, compelling viewing. Add a actor of depth and talent like Benedict Cumberbatch, a fine director like Bill Condon ('Kinsey' and 'Gods and Monsters') and this story about Assange's idea of exposing government and corporate secrets while keeping everything top secret, and the public curiosity of all of it—how could it miss? But it does and by a mile.

THE FIFTH ESTATE Official Trailer by The Fifth Estate on YouTube

It takes too long to connect us to what is going on. Trendy visuals like handheld cameras, zooming edits and a lack of narrative take us out of the action. It runs in place. It's an important true story, but it gets lost. The veil of secrecy remains closed.

One hat.


 

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You can hear KCBS Entertainment Editor Jan Wahl's movie reviews on KCBS All News 740AM and 106.9FM Fridays at 8:53am & 4:53pm.

(TM and © Copyright 2013 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2013 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
 

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