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Must See Movie...

Unshakable, witty and deeply felt, the film will be paying emotional dividends for a long, long time.

This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

What worked: A true tale is always better than fiction. How much was omitted, dramatized, and cut out/merged due to time constraints always changes the story was in the back of my mind as I watched. However, I find the story is about characters Assange and his cohorts interesting. As the Fifth Estate unfolds we find out what makes Assange tick. The story of Wikileaks itself unfolds is even more interesting. What Wikileaks actual did the how, why, what is exposed is just fascinating. Both sub stories unfold at a pace where the view is wanting to know more. Mixed in is the sub cutler of the hackers, cyber underground give a realist feel. All three components makes for the an interesting story. The thesis of the right to know vs personal privacy/ lives at risk is a great debate for a memorable ending. Was Assange and Wiki's strict policy with time lines and with out redaction too much? The Fifth Estate shows the effects of news on people both good and bad which is a nice change from the plethora of good vs evil super hero movies.

Steve Golin and Bill Condon managed to produce and direct Propaganda crap.

The movie does injustice to the actual people whom the story is based upon by showing them in the negative light. The movie is based on books that have been severely discredited due to the inaccuracies and it only builds on that. The best part of the movie was Benedict Cumberbatch's brilliant acting and only that made it worthy of enjoying the movie. Even the other actors Daniel Brühl, David Thewlis and Alicia Vikander have acted very well to make it watch-worthy. Towards the end of the movie, (SPOILER ALERT) the concept of whistle-blowing is shown in a negative light as if Julian had committed a crime and endangered people by exposing the truth. These people clearly deserved for their past actions and I hope future movies would try to portray truths more better than expressing their own deviation of it.

I enjoyed it quite a bit. Cumberbatch was PERFECT as Assange, nailed him - and so piercing. Excellent supporting performances by Laura Linney, Stanley Tucci, Alexander Seddig (Dr. Bashir from DS9), Anthony Mackie, and Michael Culkin. Yes, I said Laura Linney - who I consider the most overrated actress ever and whose performances I always despise. Here she was beyond perfect in her timing, dialog, expressions, and nuances as a State Department Official who has some conscience, thinks she is a pragmatist but needs periodic reality checks from Stanley Tucci, and certainly won't sacrifice her own neck for principle when it comes down to it. Tucci underplays his part to great effect. Culkin and Seddig are both very interesting in their two scenes. The direction was fast and well-paced with amazing sets and a most appropriate score.I haven't mentioned Cumberbatch's co-star, Daniel Bruhl, who gets just as much if not more screen time, as co-Wiki-leaks Founder Daniel Berg. Nor did I mention the female lead, Alicia Vikander, who played Amke, Berg's girlfriend. Berg provided the source material use for the film and he is the voice of conscience with which we are supposed to sympathize - especially when Assange fires (expels actually,since no one at WIki Leaks got paid) both of them for insubordination and brands them as delusional traitors. I say we're supposed to sympathize with them but I came away feeling them more self-pitying and whiny than heroic and I'm not sure whether it was the writing, the acting, or a combination of the two. I'm not saying that I could pinpoint anything wrong with the performances; and I'd have to see other work to see whether my reaction to the two came from he script. Those two characterizations/performances make this a 3.5-/4 instead of 4/4 (8/10 if you prefer). I thought it was very good - especially if you have an interest in the media's role in politics and intelligence agencies.