Geekscape Reviews: The Fifth Estate (Blu-ray/DVD)

If you missed The Fifth Estate in movie theatres last year, the Julian Assange/Wikileaks biopic will be out on Blu-ray/DVD on January 28th.

The film follows Wikileaks founder Julian Assange (a mesmerizing Benedict Cumberbatch) and Daniel Domscheit-Berg (an equally strong performance by Daniel Brühl) from the Baer bank scandal to the Afghan War Logs release. Based on Domscheit-Berg’s  Inside Wikileaks: My Time With Julian Assange and British Journalists David Leigh and Luke Harding’s Wikileaks: Inside Julian Assange’s War on Secrecy, the movie was not sanctioned by Wikileaks–in fact both Assange and Wikileaks stridently protested against it.

In trying to tell a extremely detailed story about a man many viewed as unlikeable, the film loses itself occasionally, seemingly unsure if Assange is a much-maligned hero responsible for a new, truly free press, or a narcissistic sociopath intent on toppling governments for anarchy’s sake. While director Bill Condin manages to make a bunch of people typing on their laptops watchable, and the dynamic between Cumberbatch and Brühl is riveting,  the majority of the film feels muddled and somewhat meandering, as if it wasn’t sure whether it was a film about journalism, a film about political intrigue, or a film about two men and their work on–and fight for–a new way to distribute and collect information.

The Blu-ray/DVD edition has the following special features:

“The Submission Platform: Visual Effects” (10:17) – From conception and pre-viz, through on-set photography and post, this featurette will explore the VFX challenges of bringing the submission platform to life.

“In Camera: Graphics” (6:22) – A study of the techniques and work involved in capturing the on screen graphics in camera, and allowing realistic interaction with the actors’ performances.

“Scoring Secrets” (9:15) – A detailed examination of the soundscape created by both the composer Carter Burwell as he records his score, and the film’s music supervisor as songs are chosen for the unique soundtrack.

Trailers & TV Spots – Theatrical Trailer (2:32), Titles (:30), Button (:30), Estates (:30), Decide (:30), Critics Review (:30), and Untold Story (:15)

The Fifth Estate is available on Amazon for pre-order and will be released on Bu-ray/DVD on January 28th. Directed by Bill Condin, written by Josh Singer, with Benedict Cumberbatch, Daniel Brühl, Stanley Tucci, Laura Linney, Peter Capaldi and David Thewlis.