The next set of reviews we’ll be publishing are some of the ones Roger Thomas has done exclusively for The Stanly News & Press. Roger has written movie reviews for The Stanly News & Press and other outlets for years, long before starting this blog. So we decided it would be good to give readers a sample of his previous work, in addition to posts of reviews of current films. Other reviews will run daily.
Ellen Page, left, and Alexander Skarsgard
I find out about films from different sources. I see a lot of trailers because I go to a lot of movies. I also read entertainment magazines, though I avoid reviews until after I have seen the film and reviewed it myself. I check out websites that share release dates and what certain filmmakers are considering as their next projects. And occasionally, I come upon a film unexpectedly.
Recently I was watching “The Daily Show” and Ellen Page (Oscar nominee for “Juno” in 2007) was the guest, there to promote her new film, “The East.” She shared very little about the plot except that it concerns eco-terrorists, those who are worried enough about the environment that they are willing to terrorize others for ecological reasons. There might have been a clip of the film that night, but I do not remember it. I really was not paying close attention to the interview.
A few weeks later, the film, “The East,” opened in Charlotte. knew no more about it than what I could remember from the Page interview. I had never seen a trailer. I had no preconceived ideas of what would happen on screen. I went into the theater with less knowledge of what I was going to view than on any occasion in a very long time.
“The East” is one of the best experiences I have had at the cinema this year. It captivated me from beginning to end. It made me think, feel and question. The film is filled with far more people with whom I disagreed than those I would call heroic. There are many villains in this story, and it is difficult to sort out whether any person is right or righteous. Or perhaps they all are on one level or another.
And that is perhaps the greatest strength of “The East;” it is a film that challenges one to think. There are no easy solutions or resolutions in the film, even though it does draw to a satisfactory conclusion. It has more closure than several of the best films this year, but it does not tell the audience what to conclude, or even offer sides that should be chosen in the end.
Besides Page, the most recognizable cast members include Alexander Skarsgård from HBO’s “True Blood” (who is also in the brilliant “Disconnect” this year), Patricia Clarkson who is always gives fine performances, and Brit Marling who was in “The Company You Keep” this year and the virtually unseen “Another Earth” in 2012. (There’s a good rental if you are seeking another thought-provoking evening.) Marling is in the lead role in this film. She is a beautiful actress who guides the audience through a story that becomes more engaging with each and every turn. Plus there are many others who make up this vast cast.
The other great strength of the film is the screenplay. There is one scene that I thought I knew where it was going. I expected it to take a definite turn in a certain direction. That one scene was the only one I was sure about in the entire film and even it surprised me. The predictions running through my head became meaningless, as I was more and more captivated with “The East.”
I will not write any more about the experience of seeing the film. I enjoyed the film so much because I did not know where it was going. I believe that is the kind of experience any one deserves who is brave enough to look beyond the summer blockbusters to a film that played to an audience of three people when I saw it. If you cannot find it in a theatre, go ahead and add it to your Netflix queue now.
Box Office results
Domestic gross: $2,301,839
Foreign gross: $99,671
Production budget: NA
Opening weekend: $77,031
NOTE: Information from Boxofficemojo.com
Cinema Corner 