faridat-91789 Oh, boy I've been there: nudist group showers and caresses. Going wild and having sex in the forest. And the rest, quite action-film staff with corporate and political players. A new kind of hippie.If you've had the privilege to see each side of the story first-hand, from corporate and government side or activist side, perhaps you know how pain-in-the-neck the other is. Or perhaps you're open to new hactivist, CSR, or investment activist approaches. You may be undecided as well. This film gives you time to mull over all that. And it is entertaining.It's a smart flick. While Spy Game was smart in its efficient narration and wit, this one is focused on the larger picture and an intended effect; a message of responsibility that goes both ways, towards environment and government. Here's the catch: the film comes out and says its what its intended effect is, at the end. Which is quite a sabotage. When you think of it, the film has been so smart up until that point that while you may feel disappointed as "ar.. propaganda" you soon realise it may well be that the filmmaker outsmarts the propaganda advocate here by saying outright "ok, you saw that? now we are expected to tell you this message: blah blah blah." It has Ridley Scott written all over it: it engages its audience, and assumes them smart enough to see the best-of-class intricacies.

Red_Identity As a big fan of Sound of my Voice, I'm interested in this director. The reviews for this really made it seem like a really by-the-numbers, formulaic, but decent spy thriller. It's definitely following a formula, but it's not as thin as the reviews made it out to be. It's not Sound of my Voice, by virtue of it just not being as interesting thematically and plot-wise as that film, and not as atmospheric and all around more creepy in its vibe. But it's better than the Hollywood dreck that we'd be sure to see, so in that regard it succeeds. Brit Marling is very good, as usual and unsurprisingly. I recommend this, yeah, and hope the director continues to make interesting, well-rounded films

maryhayden I watched this movie because Ellen Page and Alexander Skarsgard are among my favorite actors and I enjoyed both in other things I have seen them in. I had never heard of Brit Marling or Shiloh Fernandez before. After watching this movie I will add both to my favorite actors list and will seek out other projects they're in. Aldis Hodge had a smaller role than those I've mentioned above but I found his character fascinating and will look for more of his work as well. The acting, even in the smaller roles, was good to excellent. The soundtrack was perfectly selected and added to the feel of the movie.This movie has a plot that was a bit cliché but still quite engaging and the topic was relevant. It was thought provoking and in fact the movie has stuck with me in the two months since I watched it. It had enough unexpected twists to keep me engaged particularly the death of Ellen Page's character Izzie. The tension in her death scene was overwhelming in a great way and is one of the most memorable scenes in any movie I've ever watched. I do wish that the burgeoning attraction between Marling's and Skarsgard's characters had been made just a bit clearer. However, the love scene between the two was by far the best I have ever seen partly because it was devoid of any shots that could be considered even R rated. This scene was masterfully acted and directed.

JohnnyPHreak I think I heard or read about The East before I even know who indie darling Brit Marling was. The ads for the film weren't that appealing to me. It seemed like a thriller with a few names that interested me (Ellen Page & Alexander Skarsgård). It wasn't until I read some reviews of the film and my friends were talking about it that it piqued my interest. By then I knew who Brit Marling was. I had not seen anything she was in. From word of mouth I needed to see her films. She was a writer/actress so the films were tailored to her. I had The East sitting in my DVR for over a month. I finally decided to sit down and make my first venture into Brit Marling land. Marling stars a corporate spy who is trying to make her way into a prominent Eco-terrorist group. She is there for information and intel to help her security company help their big name clients. Once in the group her world view is change. Being the lead and the writer on the film, she can play to her strengths. But thankfully she has many of them. She stands out as an actress with some serious chops. The evolution her character goes through is fascinating. At many times in the film I wasn't sure who to root for. I didn't know what was coming next. That, for me, is the sign of good writing and even better acting. Ellen Page is great as the group's second in command. I just wish she had more screen time. But the time she does she kills it in spades. Her character is a lot more complexed than first shown. That complexity is flesh out in some powerful scenes. Alexander Skarsgård has been a favorite of mine since True Blood. I think this is best performance yet. He gets to show some range and depth as the leader of the group. Even his character's history is explained. The one thing that stands out in this film is that the filmmakers let you get to know these characters. At first you may be hesitant to what they're doing. The film doesn't push you in one way or another. There are really no good guys and bad guys. Everyone does things out of necessities and to preserve what they think is their way of life. With such a strong hot button subject matter it's a great turn the filmmakers took. It pays off because I felt for everyone at some point in the film. The only issues I had was there was character in the group who was deaf who had some great early scenes. I would have liked to see more of her but she wasn't integral to the story. The East didn't surprise me as much as I'm just impressed that a dramatic thriller can be made now a days without pushing the audience to one side or another. The film is excellently directed. During my viewing I thought it felt like a Scott brothers film. And come to find out during the credits Ridley & Tony Scott were producers on it. I would say that my first venture into Brit Marling land was a successful one. 6.8 out of 10