In 1989, known as Mendax, Julian Assange and two friends formed a group called the International Subversives. Using early home computers and defining themselves as white hat hackers - those who look but don’t steal – they broke into some of the world’s most powerful and secretive organisations. In the eyes of the US Government, they were a major threat to national security.
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Reviews
How much 'fact' is involved with this story of Julian Assange early life I do not know. But the movie as itself stands as great entertainment, perfectly cast and with a fantastic script!Alex Williams as the young Assange gives a powerhouse performance of a young man focused and driven by his wanting to expose 'the truth' and not cause damage in the process. And he achieves his goal even with the dial-up internet of the late 1980's and early 1990's.The 'authorities' are full of disdain and envy for this group of geniuses and their knowledge of up and coming technology. Assange laid the groundwork for the digital oversight 'the press' has failed to utilize in their mission as the fourth estate to keep an eye on corruption in the state and corporations.This movie shows that Assange is a 21st century hero!
The actor playing Julian is riveting. The storyline about early hacking attempts and Woz' "blue box" used to intercept the old phone company mechanical relay system by spoofing tones was interesting to see. The movie was heavy on technology specifics without giving short shrift to the storyline of Julian's life.I loved the review of emerging Computer technology and the realistically portrayed old hardware.I was amazed how often the "white hats" were forced to play catch up with the techniques of the early hacker culture.
The purpose of this movie should have been to show "what makes Assange tick". The producer/director and screen writer failed in this area because they do not know the answer.Assange's nomadic lifestyle does not explain what makes him tick, nor does Assange's father, nor does his girlfriend. These are certainly external factors in Assange's childhood, but they do not explain what makes him tick. Also, the superfluous details about his girlfriend and his child were absolutely ridiculous and should have been excluded as non-essential details.The film should have focused on Assange's motive that he has held and still holds. I should have seen more about his love for freedom of speech, his ability of using the internet; and his long days and nights in front of the computer (for which he is know). The "why" was left unanswered. It is not the external factors of a nomadic lifestyle that made him what he is today. It was not because his father or step-father was strange that Assange is what he is today. It is not because of his girlfriend. But it is because he holds certain ideas. Those ideas were buried throughout the movie.What made him risk his life? What made him follow certain principles that he is known for today? What are his principles?
After watching this film, I can safely say I am fully on Julian's side. However, this film is in no way biased, it simply presents the facts. The acting is brilliant, and Alex Williams performance is quite amazing to watch, as he portrays the socially unsure character of Julian Assange. I for one was quite rejecting of Assange's pleas for mercy during the Wikileaks scandal of 2010, but now, I can safely say I am open to all sides of the story. If I had one complaint, it would be that this film does not allow any time to tell the story of the 2010 Wikileaks scandal, in fact, all we as the viewers get to witness is a short summary of what happened before the ending credits. However, all is forgiven, as this is an "origin story", and not a biographical film. The Soundtrack is excellent, and it's beautifully filmed. This tele-movie is a real gem, and deserves to be played in Australian cinemas, especially when some of the other rubbish seems to gain access to our screens. See this movie, and decide for yourself, you won't regret it!
