Review by Bob Ignizio
Sometimes
the best way to get a good film role is to write it for yourself.
That seems to be Brit Marling's philosophy, and so far it seems to
have paid off. Although the actress has worked in films for other
people, her most high profile roles have been in the movies she has
co-written with her directors, 2011's ANOTHER EARTH
(with Mike Cahill) and the same year's THE SOUND OF MY
VOICE (with Zal Batmanglij).
Marling teams with Batmanglij once again for the political thriller
THE EAST, which is
her best work both as writer and star to date.
Marling plays
Sarah, a former FBI agent now working in the private sector. Her
current assignment is to infiltrate a group of activists (or
eco-terrorists, depending on your point of view) called The East. The
information is then passed on to Sarah's superior (Patricia
Clarkson), who delivers it to the corporate clients footing the bill.
Once Sarah is in
with the group she starts to become friendly with its members, especially their de facto leader Benji (Alexander
Skarsgård). She even starts to sympathize with their cause, but is
troubled by some of their methods as the pranks they commit become increasingly
dangerous to both their targets and members of the group,
as well. Sarah's concerns prove to be founded when a prank conceived by Izzy (Ellen Page) as a way to get back at her father, the CEO of a chemical company guilty of dumping toxic waste, goes terribly wrong.
As the lead,
Marling easily carries the film with a fine understated performance.
Even though a fair amount of the role is just being the audience's
entry point into the would of these underground activists, the character
never fades into the background. I particularly liked the fact that
Marling is upfront in portraying Sarah as a devout Christian without
making a big deal about it or turning the character into a negative
caricature. In fact, it's fair to say that Sarah's faith plays a
significant and positive role in guiding the ethical decisions she makes. It's
done with subtlety, but it's there in both the writing and the
performance, and it matters. Page is also very good in an intense role
that lets her get far away from the snarky slacker image of JUNO,
and Skarsgård is compellingly believable as the sort of charismatic
quasi religious figure that so often heads up fringe groups like The
East.
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