The Fifth Estate!!!!

The Fifth Estate.

A film that struck a chord with me that I looked forward to seeing was this one, the main reason being that I am a Journalism graduate, how this happened I will never know. So being a person who has done a Journalism degree, got the batman cape and the piece of paper it obviously sounded like an interesting idea for a film. 

Starting with some fast moving news images you see how the information can be broadcast around the world from phones to laptops to TV screens. it's a clever little fast paced montage of how images, text and video can be accessed around the world by everyone on the planet. The film of course follows the story of Julian Assange (Benedict Cumberbatch) as he starts up his website WikiLeaks in order to leak important information to the public for them to see the truth and corruption that is happening everyday in politics. As Assange works in various countries to take down powerful leaders he arrives at a conference to be met by Daniel Domscheit-Berg (Daniel Bruhl) who is an activist and wants to help Assange with his website. 

As the film progresses more and more information is leaked, a most famous video that shows US military forces gunning down civilians and reuters journalists was to be leaked and hit people hard. With Assange working with the newspaper the Guardian and in particular the editor Alan Rusbridger (Peter Capaldi) they were to work out a deal. As the Guardian redacts some of the thousand documents that Assange has they were to publish pages of this information for Assange to pubish the un-redacted information. 

You see on screen the relationship between Assange and Berg slowly fall to pieces and both of them fighting for what they see is the best decision to make for the information they have. Seeing not only this but part of Assange's up bringing and what he had done to become the person he is today. Obviously we all know what the end result would be and what was to happen to Assange who is now holed up in the Ecuadorian embassy and fighting extradition. 

Cumberbatch plays Assange spookily well and he really does act and have Assange's mannerisms down to a tee. Having Assange e-mail him the day they were to start filming to say that he shouldn't do the film must have been hard but a story that needed to be told. Bruhl is ok but not as strong a character and force as Cumberbatch, both work well together on screen and portray and very tense and fraught relationship between Berg and Assange. 

In my own honest opinion when it comes down to leaking documents I see it that if documents were to leak, change a government and help people for the better then why not. Certainly information that could topple corrupt governments and change a countrys history for the better surely the documents should be leaked and read by all to see. It's when peoples lives are at risk that you have to take into account your own moral stand point and question your own ethics as to whether documents should be leaked. 

Back to the film and I have to say it is a good little thriller film that entertains, informs and lets you decide your own point of view on WikiLeaks. If your after something more meaty and full of information then I suggest you look elsewhere as this film is mainly just basic information and is here to entertain and not really inform much.

7/10

Rush!!!!

Rush.

It has to be said when you see the name Ron Howard attached to a film as it's director you know that your going to be onto a great film. A Beautiful Mind, Frost/Nixon, Apollo 13 and The Da vinci Code are just the main film successes that Howard has had over his career in movies. He always manages to bring a true life story to the screen in a respectful yet thrilling and informative way and get you truly hooked at the same time. 

Rush sees the true life story of rivalry between Britain's James Hunt (Chris Hemsworth) and Austria's Nicki Lauda (Daniel Bruhl) during the 1976 Forumula One season. Starting off with the backstory of both drivers we see Hunt rise up through the ranks of formula three, two and then gain sponsorship into formula one. Lauda on the other hand starts in formula three and then eventually uses his money to buy himself into the BRM formula one team driving alongside Clay Regazzoni (Pierfrancesco Favino). 

Showing the backwards and forwards rivalry between the two drivers is shown on screen, Hunt being the wild party going guy who had everything to prove. Then Lauda who kept everything serious, was very guarded and worked hard and had nothing to prove to no-one. Then on one fateful day everything was to change, for Lauda especially. At the famous German Grand Prix at the Nurburgring Lauda was to try and reason with the other drivers about the bad weather conditions but Hunt convinced the drivers to drive stating Lauda was doing it to win points and the championship.

What was to happen next was to shock everyone, with the changing of tires on the second lap Lauda's suspension arm was to break causing the car to crash into the barrier and burst into flames before being hit by other cars. Lauda was airlifted to hospital and was to be treated for third degree burns to his face and toxic fumes in his lungs. As Lauda lay in bed in agony and has his lungs pumped of the toxic chemicals he watches a TV and sees James Hunt win race after race and is determined to get back into the car and finish the season. 

The film is seriously impressive as you see the rivalry between the two rise and rise it keeps you hooked as to what happens next. Obviously what happened to Lauda was awful and truly shocking but to get back up and have that courage and strength shows that the human body and spirit can endure and be strong again. Touching upon not only professional but personal relationships of the drivers is a nice little touch as well and gives the film that human soft love element you wouldn't see on the track from the men. 

From the cinematography of Anthony Dod Mantle of wheels spinning in slow motion to Hans Zimmer's amazing soundtrack to keep that tension high everyone involved has produced a great film. A film that is intense and thrilling yet is so respectful of the subject matter at hand. Hemsworth and Bruhl play Hunt and Lauda perfectly and you can really feel the intensity on screen.

The last scene for me showing up to date footage of Lauda looking onto a racetrack speaking about how Hunt was one of a few men he truly respected and felt sad when he heard of Hunt's death at the young age of 45. To me this shows Howard had that respect and heart to finish the film perfectly and maybe for people inside and outside the Formula One world hear what Lauda truly thought of Hunt.

Yet another massive hit for Ron Howard and a film to stand the test of time that no doubt people will talk about for years after and in my eyes a film set to take all the awards come Oscar and BAFTA weekends.

10/10.