Does the end ever justify the means? If agitprop is acceptable, where do we draw the fine line when it melds into environmental terrorism? This gripping new thriller which pitches us all against the inequities of large industrial conglomerates who are poisoning and polluting both us and our planet raises these questions, although the network of militants who call themselves ‘The East’ seldom have any doubts. They are a tough bunch of rather angry anarchists hidden away in an abandoned house somewhere in a wilderness in deepest Kentucky where they plan their attacks/revenge in what are called ‘jams’. The East have been so successful in wrecking havoc and causing serious damage that Jane, en ex FBI Agent, is recruited by a somewhat scary Private Security Firm to infiltrate the group to eventually be able to stop them.
Each member of the small group have come from privileged backgrounds and they all seem to have some painful personal reason for their involvement here. Also all of them are equally sceptical of newcomer Sarah (Jane’s cover name) and so they test her loyalty by throwing her head first into one of their most dangerous ‘jams’ to date without giving her any notice. This one involves lacing the cocktails at a party of CEO of a pharmaceutical company with some of the dangerous anti-biotics he has been peddling.
Jane, whose romantic life at home is bland to say the least, falls for Benji the enigmatic leader of the group as he is both hot and dangerous, although he had repulsed her when she first arrived at their dirty headquarters. When she switches sides, somehow with her clean cut striking blond bombshell look there is an inference that maybe The East are OK after all.
As a movie: its a taut, tense and very tight thriller, well written & directed, and peppered with some really excellent acting. Brit Marling who played Jane/Sarah also co-wrote the piece with director Zal Batmanglij. The gang members are Alexander Skarsgaard, Ellen Page & Toby Kebbell. And the impeccable Patricia Clarkson was a steely cold-fish Boss of the Security Agency.
As a piece of propaganda it didn’t delve far past the basic generalisation that all Big Corporations are evil, and for the sake of more profit for their fat-cat rich owners will destroy our planet if we do not do something about it soon. And as scary as this piece was (it seemed like science fiction at times), it will certainly not make anyone change habits/lifestyle once the afterglow of the movie wears off.
★★★★★★★
