The East (PG-13)
11/03/14 21:14 Filed in: 2013
Starring: Brit Marling
June 2013
This review was originally tweeted in Real-time from the back row of a movie theater and appears @BackRoweReviews. Though efforts were made to tease rather than ruin this movie’s memorable lines and moments, some spoilers may exist in the following evaluation. The original tweets appear in black, while follow-up comments appear in red. For concerns over objectionable content, please first refer to one of the many parental movie guide websites. All ratings are based on a four star system. Happy reading!
Now that we’re pulling up the stakes on many summer tentpoles, it’s time for some different fare.
Meatier fare, thank goodness.
I’ve always loved Page’s delivery and Marling was fabulous in the deeply-affecting #AnotherEarth.
A trippy, gut-wrenching film that will have you noodling for days.
Prepare to get your spy on.
After that harrowing opening narration, the movie definitely has my attention.
Marling picks a bad time to become a hobo.
This application of super glue actually works...I’ve had occasion to use it in the past.
Learned it from a master meat cutter when I was apprenticing under him in a former life. Seals the cut and heals remarkably fast.
Wearing a straight jacket to dinner...interesting attire.
Clever place to hide a cell phone.
A deadly toast...a taste of their own medicine.
Spin the bottle...enjoyed at frat parties and cult gatherings everywhere.
When a thought comes, it comes. Don’t know that I’ll ever be able to outdo this one.
Jason Ritter’s character here is virtually identical to the one he plays on #Parenthood. Does he have any range?
Group washing in the lake...weird.
Page confronts her dad...the same actor who plays the VP in #Homeland.
Actor Jamey Sheridan.
The last jam strikes close to home.
The trash apple scene is unsettling, but is it an act?
Final analysis: a thought-provoking yarn that grapples with the nature of justice.
Should corporations be held responsible for the ecological disasters they create?
Rating: 3 out of 4 stars despite some ponderous pacing. Definitely a water cooler discussion film.
The movie has an undeniable independent feel to it, but has a surprising raft of A-list talent in its cast. There are disturbing scenes here and some challenging ones as well. The movie broaches some important questions, like: which is worse, a corporation that makes millions by ravaging our environment or homegrown terror cells bent on bringing down such companies? The film isn’t exactly popcorn entertainment, but it’s an effective counterpoint to the increasingly vapid and vulgar offerings at the Cineplex.