The Worst Film Ever

A lot more amusing than I thought it would be.

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

With a friend being a fan of the HBO series True Blood,I decided to take a look at what films Alexander Skarsgård (whose dad Stellan has also done some interesting work!)has made.Looking around on Ebay,I spotted a great-looking Thriller that Alexander Skarsgård had made with Ellen Page,which led to me getting ready to head east.The plot:Learning that an eco-terrorist group called The East are planning to attack three companies who they believe are heavily corrupt,a private intelligence firm decides to send agent Jane Owen undercover,in order to gain info on the group,which the firm can then use to build a relationship with the companies about to be attacked.Using the name Sarah Moss,Owen joins a gang of drifters suspected of being involved with The East.Struggling to delve deeper into The East,Owen secretly self- inflicts an arm injury,which leads to Owen being taken to an abandoned house in the woods where The East are based.As she heals up,the leaders of The East tell Owen that she can stay at the house for 2 days,before she has to re-join the drifters. Getting one of the members to quit by revealing that she is an undercover spy,The East find themselves one person down,just days before they are to attack the first company.Slowly gaining the groups trust,Owen starts to find herself looking away from the blue chip firms,and turning east.View on the film:Aiming for moral ambiguity,the screenplay (which was originally planned as a follow-up to A Civil Action,but got changed when John Travolta left the project) by co-writer/(along with actress Brit Marling)director Zal Batmanglij disappointingly shows no one at the companies/Owen's spy firm with any seeds of doubt,which leads to all of them looking like interchangeable "baddies" who are willing to do anything in order to bring the group down.Whilst they leave any complex aspects away from the baddies, Batmanglij & Marling brilliantly transform The East from a bunch of shady-looking hippies,into a slick ruthless machine,which is matched by Owen developing an increasing sense of doubt in her role of spying on The East.Putting the viewers feet deep in the muddy world of The East, Batmanglij and cinematographer Roman Vasyanov give the gangs hideout a tough,gritty appearance,as decaying greens and browns keep the group connected to a aw,rustic backdrop. Counting the earthy mood created by the group, Batmanglij & Roman Vasyanov give the companies an ultra-stylised appearance,which is placed over the oily decay hiding within.Entering the movie looking like a serial killer, Alexander Skarsgård gives a terrific performance as The East leader Benji,who Skarsgård reveals to have a burning passion for the group,with a surprisingly delicate precision in making sure that their message gets across. Joining Skarsgård, Toby Kebbell gives a great, nervous performance as Doc,whilst Ellen Page gives the film an excellent tough edge by giving a tense performance as Izzy.Along with being the co- writer,the very pretty Brit Marling gives a stunning performance as Owen,thanks to Marling allowing a strong sense of doubt to gradually seep into Owen,as Owen begins to look east.

I didn't know Ridley Scott was on board before I watch this btw. But now you know - if that's important to you too.The East has nothing to do with East Asia but a group of radicals. The backdrop is little Davids against the Goliath of our corrupt to the core industry giants, set in contemporary every-men America. The theme is choosing side, heart or head. Overall, a story deserves to be told and a well-told story deserved to be experienced.This movie was made on an indie budget of $6.5 million by relative unknown writer director team (first time I watch anything by Brit Marling). Yet it definitely feels like a polished enough mainstream release. There is no typical art film fest overlong pregnant pauses and amateur 'we're so serious' posturing.The overall tone is naturalistic even punk-ish. The cinematography is done in great economy and taste but nothing stylistically-pretentious or distracting at all.Writing pacing is professional grade, subtle yet lethal, emotional and unsentimental, sleeker than 99% of Hollywood serious dramas out there. Definitely engaging throughout. 5 minutes in I breathe a sigh of relief as I know we're in nimble talented hands.The team of actors are well chosen. The acting/ directing result is intimate, natural and emotionally true. Brit Marling is definitely sincere as an actor, and confident enough to not demand that the camera worship/ molest her for a second too long. Ellen Page did her complex role totally justice. Alex Skarsgard delivered the emotional intensity physical presence his role calls for. Patricia Clarkson (6 feet Under/ Maze Runner) breathed life into a character type that's always in danger of caricature treatment.All in all, the beauties and intelligence of the cast have been brought forth in totally UNFORCED and CONCISE manner, which makes me curious about director Zal Batmanglij, at least his seamless collaboration with Brit Marling.I hope Brit Marling will continue to be this fearless and effective as a producer.This movie deserves more viewing. Highly recommended.

The trailers for "The East" make it look like not much more than a revenge flick for the 99%, but it's much more (and much deeper) than that. The film shows a group of underground anarchists taking their revenge on people they see as corporate criminals, people who knowingly poison the masses with their medications and destroy the environment with their factories. But the main character is a young woman named Sarah, a kind of corporate cop who goes undercover to expose the group. When she figures out that one of the people she's been following is a member of The East, she cleverly exploits that relationship to infiltrate the group, but then has to work hard to gain the trust of the disparate outcasts who make up this modern day commune.Of course, this involves participating in The East's elaborate plans of revenge on corporate America. The East's schemes are dangerous - both for their targets and for themselves. Although they passionately believe in what they're doing, the members of the group have trouble dealing with the price they have to pay for their extreme activism. Sarah's eyes are opened too, in a variety of ways. To say that "The East" is left wing propaganda is not inaccurate, but it sells the film short.The film uses a creative story with a lot of tension to shed fresh light on the complicated world in which we live and challenges us to think about the best way to deal with our modern problems. Though stretching the limits of realism, this film is original enough to keep the audience engaged and deep enough to make them think. I give "The East" a B+.

Last decades have see a number of movies dealing with illegal pollution of environment by big corporations, and some of them have involved wide fame and audience (e.g. Erin Brockovich). The East is not at the same level - due to weaker leading role, above all (Brit Marling gave just a pleasant performance, nothing more) - but some twists in the otherwise predictable plot and especially supporting characters and performances (Alexander Skarsgård as Benji, Ellen Page as Izzy, Patricia Clarkson as Sharon) make the movie catchy to watch, directing the focus away what is happening in large enterprises. The events within and around the members of The East are logical, yet I would have preferred a more clarified ending, perhaps some "dodges" included. But all in all, the movie in question is OK, particularly if you care both about environment and thrillers.