Trailer Tuesdays
Gordon-Levitt Channels Edward Snowden
Sorry for the posting delay, but I wanted to make sure I added another trailer that I felt merited especial attention, given the timing and subject matter. Snowden, the upcoming Oliver Stone film starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, tells the story of the young CIA employee who blew the lid off of the National Security Agency’s (NSA) surveillance program in 2013. Hailed as a whistleblower and denounced as a traitor, Snowden has spent the past few years exiled in Russia and is now seeking President Obama’s pardon and permission to return to the United States.
Oliver Stone is certainly not the subtlest filmmaker, and having seen his interpretation of the Bush Administration in W., I have a pretty good idea how he has chosen to tell Snowden’s story. Nonetheless, Gordon-Levitt has done an amazing job channeling Snowden’s voice and mannerisms. I also think it’s an important story to tell, given the questions it raises as to how much we trust our government: a question that has arguably led to the populist disillusionment evident in our current presidential election. Whether Snowden is a hero or a traitor is a matter of perspective; the activities of the NSA PRISM program have since been denounced as illegal, but the exposure of international secrets can be seen as another matter. Either way, Stone’s movies have a way of generating discussion – in this case, how much of our freedom we are willing to give up for security. Snowden is scheduled to open in theaters nationwide this Thursday, September 15, 2016:
Kate Winslet Stuns as an Aussie Fairy Godmother in The Dressmaker
The agelessly lovely Kate Winslet stars as a sort of femme fatale returning to her hometown – and Liam Hemsworth – in the Australian Outback. The Dressmaker follows Winslet’s character, Myrtle “Tilly” Dunnage, as she attends to her mother and confronts the town gossip over a tragic secret for which Tilly was accused and apparently for which she was never forgiven. Based on a novel by Rosalie Ham, The Dressmaker is billed as a revenge comedy-drama, which is evident in the events presented in the trailer. A resplendent Tilly stirs up the drab locals and eventually transforms them through her talents as a world-renown fashion designer. Despite her best attempts to win them over, she still must confront the painful past and shut down their accusations once and for all.
The Dressmaker premiered in Australia last year and received numerous awards, including Best Film and Best Lead Actress according to the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards. It is scheduled to release in America on September 23, 2016. Let’s see if the winsome cast and period-piece mystery story can find an audience here in the States. We could use a little resplendency right now: