The East

Directed by Zal Batmanglij. Starring Brit Marling, Alexander Skarsgård, Ellen Page, Patricia Clarkson. 116 mins.

The East is the third feature by writer and actress Brit Marling, and her second collaboration with director Zal Batmanglij after the intriguing Sound Of My Voice. Playing Sarah, a former FBI trainee now working to protect private clients from anti-corporate terrorism, Marling exudes intelligence and sensitivity. She’s an actress encouragingly determined to trade on her brains. As she infiltrates an eco-warrior cell, it’s evident that the secrecy required by her job has left her searching for true connections – a longing that might just be fulfilled by the tactile, earthy group. But as the collective engage in potentially lethal stunts, such as poisoning a pharmaceutical company with their own drug, the question arises: do their extreme actions render them activists or terrorists?
The film is packed with engaging characters, such as Alexander Skarsgård’s quietly compelling leader, Benji; Ellen Page’s fury-fuelled extremist Izzy; and Patricia Clarkson as a brilliantly chilling example of corporate soullessness. These well-written exponents make Sarah’s increasingly divided loyalties engaging to watch, and the character-focused scenes are well balanced.
However, as the film continues, the seemingly complex morality reveals itself to be quite simplistic. And a few emotionally cheap reveals precede an all-too tidy conclusion.
Marling should be commended for her ability to tackle interesting subject matter and make decent films that pose difficult questions. One day she might even be able to answer them.