SNOWDEN: With Joseph Gordon-Levitt in the title role, this biopic from director Oliver Stone sets out to make the man an icon of sorts. And he succeeds on many levels Starting out with what we know about the whistle-blower and then flashing back to how he got there, the film is both fascinating and maddening. A man with a true love for his country becomes a member of the CIA and gets swept away with loyalty issues and his opposing willingness to expose what he believes is wrong with the "system." Shailene Woodley plays his girlfriend with Nicholas Cage, Tom Wilkinson in lesser roles and they deliver well-rounded performances. While the film seems too long, but isn't by today's standards (2 hrs. 15 mins) it could have been tightened by editing, but Stone seems to like wringing everything he can out of his scenarios. And he does come through it the last throws of the story. While it won't be on my ten best list, it is a worthy attempt to enlighten the audience who have only though of Snowden as a traitor, dissident and whistle-blower; This film also makes you think he might be a hero and a patriot.
SULLY: A biopic of sorts, this is the true story of Captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger and the aftermath of the "Miracle on the Hudson" air plane landing with Tom Hanks adding another great performance to his repertoire. Directed by Clint Eastwood with an eye for heroics, the film also has supporting roles by Laura Linney (literally phoning in her performance) as Sully's wife and Aaron Eckhart as his co-pilot. The film has a beginning that I won't spoil for you and then proceeds to begin the narrative, days after the "splash" landing. Through flashbacks and imagined "what ifs?" the story unfolds. With the brass investigating what they believe could have been avoided, we get a fair amount of suspense. And the last line is a beaut. Stay through the credits it you want to see the real people. All in all, a rewarding, good film, not great, but nonetheless highly entertaining and Hanks shines.
