The Fifth Estate - C+

Rated R, 128 minutes

Well-acted but sluggish "Fifth Estate" doesn't do its source justice

Daniel Bruh and Benedict Cumberbatch

"The Fifth Estate" is about famous activist and investigative journalist Julian Assange, founder of the globally recognized website WikiLeaks, which publishes classified information from various, secret sources. Assange is an intriguing, ego-driven subject worthy of a movie, though the uneven, mildly listless thriller "The Fifth Estate" doesn't do him justice. The film explores the rise of Assange (the ubiquitous Benedict Cumberbatch) and his website WikiLeaks, as told through the eyes of former colleague Daniel Domscheit-Berg ("Rush's" Daniel Bruh), whose account of the story is one of the main sources of the film. Directed by Bill Condon ("Dreamgirls") with a screenplay by TV's Josh Singer, "The Fifth Estate" is memorable mainly for Cumberbatch's entertaining portrayal of the internet activist, yet the film only skims the surface of Assange personally. "The Fifth Estate" is problematic for several reasons, namely Condon's heavy-handed direction; he seems to be the wrong fit for the material and can't find the balance for a character-driven thriller such as this. As well, Singer's script is dry and isn't exactly revelatory into Assange's life, providing very little connection between the man and his dangerous website, lacking a sense of urgency or relevancy given Assange's impact on 21st century news reporting. Condon also feels the unnecessary need to metaphorically play out the characters real life actions, an annoying contrivance that adds little to the film. The best thing about "The Fifth Estate" is the charming performance from Cumberbatch ("Star Trek Into Darkness"), who is having a terrific year in movies, providing a beguiling energy the film overall lacks, even if the internet can provide more insight into Assange than this film does. As his colleague Berg, Austrian actor Bruh is also very good, and he and Cumberbatch share an odd but convincing warmth together on screen. The first hour of "The Fifth Estate" is a bit of a drag as it slogs through the website's early days until it picks some steam when it hits the U.S. with the Brandon Manning scandal, which is still playing out in the news. Laura Linney, Stanley Tucci and Anthony Mackie also appear as U.S. government officials and while they're good in small, foolproof roles (especially the always smart Linney), Condon underuses them in underwritten roles. Assange, who has unsurprisingly voiced strong opposition to "The Fifth Estate," is a fascinating subject who has given some justice to the news, too bad you wouldn't know it from this lethargic, uninteresting thriller.

Wes's Grade: C+