In the Know
Julian Assange (Benedict Cumberbatch) and his colleague Daniel Domscheit-Berg (Daniel Brühl) have come up with a way for whistle-blowers to anonymously leak data which in turn they use and make public. Before long the have a huge amount of data but also access to a massive collection of confidential intelligence documents. But as they decide what to do with it they find themselves conflicted.
I actually found reading the reviews written about "The Fifth Element" a lot more entertaining than the movie itself with some picking up on it only telling half the story whilst some proclaiming Benedict is God which to be frank consisted of just 3 lines written but those clearly smitten with the actor. But I did find a few which agreed with what I was feeling which is "The Fifth Element" only works for those who already know the ins and outs of the stories and so can follow it whilst being entertained. And for those who know the story I hope this was everything I had hoped it to be.
But other than having heard of the name Julian Assange, WikiLeaks and the out cry over the release of secret documents I don't know the story and found myself having not learned a great deal more by watching "The Fifth Element". What I learned is that Benedict Cumberbatch certainly knows how to play conceited a-holes whilst in truth Daniel Brühl ends up delivering the better performance as his character draws you in. But because "The Fifth Element" is written for those who already know the stories no matter how many famous faces appear in supporting roles it doesn't make it anymore entertaining or interesting.
What this all boils down to is that for me "The Fifth Element" is one of those movies made not for the masses but for those who have followed the story of Julian Assange and WikiLeaks. It makes it a slog of a movie for those who watch hoping to learn something because it takes it for granted you already know what is going on.
