THE EAST follows former FBI Agent Sarah Moss (Brit Marling) who is recruited by private intelligence firm Hiller Brood to infiltrate an eco-terrorism/ anarchist group called The East.  She travels off the grid (learning to survive without using money or very little money) until she finally meets and saves someone from the group.   She soon meets the other members of the group and their charismatic leader Benji (Alexander Skarsgard).   She learns about their free loving ways and manages to become one with the group as they plan their jams (eco-terrorist activities).   Soon things become complicated for her as she will have to decide to work for Hiller Brood or be a member of the East.

 

THE EAST is a morally gray thriller as you sympathize with all sides.   You might despise Hiller Brood and their clients, but you don’t want them to be victims of eco-terrorism while you also understand where the East is coming from as you wish they had better ways to achieve their goals.   Brit Marling continues to shine as an actress in the movies she writes with the director.   Ellen Page and Alexander Skarsgard are also stand outs in this film.  Then you do learn about off the grid living and anarchist groups as THE EAST is based on in part on the experiences Brit and director Zal Batmanglig had one summer as they traveled off the grid.  I can’t wait to see what type of movie Brit and Zal write next because they are a good team (in addition to Brit writing roles for herself that she might not have got to otherwise to show off her acting range).

 

SPECIAL FEATURES:

Four deleted scenes which includes an alternate ending and an eight second bit giving a resolution on screen to one of the events late in the film

 

THE EAST EXPOSED: THE STORY- the cast, Brit Marling, and director Zal Batmanglig talk about the characters and story of THE EAST

OFF THE GRID: CREATING THE EAST- Zal and Brit tell the story of the travels they did off the grid meeting anarchist groups in the summer of 2009 which led to the development of the script for THE EAST

CASTING THE EAST- everyone wanted to do THE EAST and believed in doing the movie 9and the ideas within)

CAUSE AND EFFECT: THE MOVEMENT OF THE EAST- Zal and Brit talk about the movements like Occupy Wall Street that came about the same time they were writing the script

TWO BROTHERS: COLLABORATION- Zal and his brother talk about the central piano piece in the movie

EXAMINING THE MORAL GRAY- Zal and Brit are interviewed in the Tribecca Film Screening room as you find out where the title of THE EAST came from and how they haven’t found an intelligent Off The Grid group like the one in THE EAST

 

Theatrical Trailer for THE EAST and previews for RUNNER RUNNER, THE WAY WAY BACK, STOKER, HOMELAND Season 2, THE AMERICANS, VIKINGS, and CARRIE

 

Code for Digital HD copy via download and streaming

 

FINAL ANALYSIS:  THE EAST is a thinking man’s thriller as it leaves you with questions about the ethics of eco-terrorism, living off the grid, and the system of economics is broken.  The acting is top notch, and THE EAST improves upon the last collaboration between Brit and Zal.

 

This Blu-ray review is (c)9-20-2013 David Blackwell and cannot be reprinted without permission.  Send all comments to feedback@enterline-media.com

 

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