With a notable absence, WikiLeaks drama ‘The Fifth Estate’ kicks off Toronto Film Festival
TORONTO – WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange may be holed up in the Ecuadorian embassy in London, but he’s very present at the Toronto International Film Festival.
Opening this year’s festival on Thursday is the premiere of Bill Condon’s dramatization of Assange and WikiLeaks, “The Fifth Estate” — a film with which Assange refused to co-operate. It’s the only movie at Toronto that has the distinction of being called “a massive propaganda attack” by its primary subject.
That was the opinion Assange dished out on the film in a video link in January in which he waved a supposed copy of the film’s script.
But the film, which stars Benedict Cumberbatch as the Austrian activist, isn’t the character assassination Assange feared, but rather a layered, complicated portrait as laudatory as it is critical.
___
Follow AP Entertainment Writer Jake Coyle on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/jake_coyle
News from © The Associated Press, . All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Join the Conversation!
Want to share your thoughts, add context, or connect with others in your community? Create a free account to comment on stories, ask questions, and join meaningful discussions on our new site.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.