The Fifth Estate started off the Toronto International Film Festival Thursday night, and reactions have been mixed, though not actor Benedict Cumberbatch's fault.
According to Entertainment Weekly, early reviews have not been especially positive of the movie, saying some enjoyed it but most did not.
Early reviews compared it poorly to the The Social Network and said the film came off as preachy and uneven. While few seemed to have enjoyed the movie, there was positive praise for Cumberbatch's portrayal of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. Cumberbatch's co-star Daniel Bruhl also received some praise as Assange's right hand man and the man who wrote the book that the movie is based off.
Contact Music says the movie follows the plot from Bruhl's character, Daniel Domscheit-Berg, who works alongside Assange, as he gets increasingly frustrated and disillusioned with Assange's agenda.
Director Bill Condon said in an interview with Vulture that the movie "celebrates the idea of WikiLeaks and the tremendous potential of it. It does tell the story of its rise and how it came apart to a certain degree."
EW notes that there had been hope that the movie would receive award buzz, but reviews out of Toronto might dull that hope a bit.
The Fifth Estate opens in theaters Oct. 11.
image: Wikimedia Commons
