The East (2013 film)

Directed by Zal Batmanglij and written by Batmanglij and Brit Marling, The East is the story about a young woman hired by a private intelligence firm to infiltrate a group of underground eco-terrorists. The film is an exploration into the world of anarchists where a young woman tries to see what they’re about and whether they’re doing something that is very noble. Starring Brit Marling, Alexander Skarsgard, Ellen Page, Toby Kebbell, and Patricia Clarkson. The East is a chilling yet gripping film from Zal Batmanglij.

The film is a suspense-thriller where a young woman who works for this private intelligence firm is hired to infiltrate an underground eco-terrorist group that has been attacking many corporations who have been known for their corruption. Upon infiltrating this group known as the East, Jane (Brit Marling) finds herself drawn to their cause as she realizes that their intention is to hurt these leaders and face the consequences of their actions. For Jane in her Sarah alias, she falls for the leader Benji (Alexander Skarsgard) as she learns more about his background as well as his associates in Izzy (Ellen Page) and Doc (Toby Kebbell). Particularly their motivations into being part of this group as Jane would report everything to her supervisor Sharon (Patricia Clarkson) but find herself in conflict with everything else she’s doing.

The film’s screenplay not only explores the conflicts that Jane/Sarah would deal with but also the sense of danger she is going into as she knows she’s getting too close to targeting Benji and the East. Yet, she realizes that the people they’re after are individuals who are responsible for ecological disasters that have killed or harmed innocent people through chemicals and such. Especially as Benji, Izzy, and Doc have been affected in some way over what has happened by these corporations as Jane becomes confused in helping them or helping Sharon who knows exactly what Jane is going through which adds an ambiguity to her character as she isn’t presented as a typical antagonist.

Zal Batmanglij’s direction is quite entrancing in the way he presents some of the attacks the East does where it’s very underground and secretive though their intention is to never kill anyone but rather hurt them. Much of the direction involve some hand-held shots as well as scenes where it adds to some of the elements of suspense where it’s shot around Shreveport, Louisiana to play into a world that is low-key but also has cities and such where Jane can go back to. Some of the compositions involve close-ups and medium shots where Batmanglij plays into the drama and suspense that includes a chilling moment in the film’s second act which involves Izzy and her motivations as it becomes a key turning point for Jane possibly wanting to help the East more. Overall, Batmanglij creates a very compelling and intoxicating film about an undercover agent who goes into deep into the world of an underground eco-terrorist group.

Cinematographer Roman Vasynov does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography from the usage of low-key lights for some of the scenes at night to some of the more natural setting in some of the forest scenes that is contrast to the lighting in the building that Jane works at. Editors Andrew Weisblum and Bill Pankow do amazing work with the editing with its usage of montages for the film‘s opening sequence to other array of stylish cuts to play into the film‘s suspense and drama. Production designer Alex DiGerlando, with set decorator Cynthia Slagter and art director Nikki Black, does superb work with the set pieces from the ruined house the East lives in to the more polished office and homes that Jane lives in when she‘s not undercover.

Costume designer Jenny Gering does nice work with the costumes from the polished clothes the East wears when they go undercover to the more ragged look when they‘re back at their secret home. Sound editor Andrew DeCristofaro does terrific work with the sound from the atmosphere of some of the antics the gang do to the quietness of the forest locations and where Jane lives. The film’s music by Halli Cauthery, with score themes by Harry Gregson-Williams, is wonderful for its mixture of electronic music and orchestral music to play into the film‘s suspense and drama.

The casting by Ronna Kress includes some notable small roles from Hillary Baack as a deaf-member of the East that Jane/Sarah befriends, Aldis Hodge as an aggressive member of the East, Han Soto as Sharon’s assistant, Jason Ritter as Jane’s husband, and Julia Ormond in a superb performance as a corporate official who deals with the same side effects that she’s been given during an attack by the East. Toby Kebbell is excellent as a doctor named Doc who deals with his illness as well as give reasons into why he became ill and his thirst for vengeance. Shiloh Fernandez is pretty terrible as the East member Luca as he looks like he just got out of a emo concert with too much eyeliner as he sometimes over acts in some intense scenes or looks like he’s about to take a shit.

Patricia Clarkson is amazing as Jane’s boss Sharon who keeps tabs on what Jane does while offering advice about getting to close and such. Ellen Page is fantastic as Izzy as this young woman who is wary about Jane joining the group only to have moment in the second half which reveals her reasons for being in the East. Alexander Skarsgard is brilliant as the leader of the East in Benji as a man who is determined to bring down corporations as there’s more to him than just some ragged, charismatic leader as Skarsgard brings this sense of humility and brooding persona to his role. Finally, there’s Brit Marling in an incredible performance as Jane/Sarah as an undercover agent trying to join the East and see what they’re up to as she becomes conflicted in doing her job as well as helping the East as it’s a role that is very understated yet engaging from Marling.

The East is a fantastic film from Zal Batmanglij that features remarkable performances from Brit Marling, Alexander Skarsgard, Ellen Page, and Patricia Clarkson. While it does have some conventional elements that is expected in a suspense-thriller, the film does offer some key insight into the world of eco-terrorism and their motives while adding some human elements into the story. In the end, The East is an extraordinarily powerful film from Zal Batmanglij.

Zal Batmanglij Films: (The Recordist) - Sound of My Voice

© thevoid99 2014

Sound of My Voice

Directed by Zal Batmanglij and written by Batmanglij and Brit Marling, Sound of My Voice is the story about a documentary filmmaking team who try to make an expose on a cult led by a mysterious leader who claims that she’s from the future. The film is about the world of cults and how two documentary filmmakers try to expose this leader only to fall prey into her world. Starring Brit Marling, Christopher Denham, and Nicole Vicius. Sound of My Voice is a chilling and provocative film from Zal Batmanglij.

The film is about the world of cults where two documentary filmmakers decide to join this strange cult in order to expose the leader only to fall prey into that world. During their time in these secret meetings with this leader who claims she’s from the future, things become even stranger as activities also become more questionable. Even as the substitute schoolteacher Peter (Christopher Denham) and aspiring writer Lorna (Nicole Vicius) go into diverging paths with the cult where one of them becomes seduced by the words and thoughts of its leader Maggie (Brit Marling). It’s a film that is filled with a lot of ambiguities as Peter and Lorna’s intentions were to bring Maggie and her cult down but things become very complicated. Even as some of Maggie’s antics would make them believe that everything she might be saying is true.

The film’s screenplay by Zal Batmanglij and Brit Marling has a structure where it all takes place in the span of ten days where Peter and Lorna do their activities in the daytime while would spend their time with this cult in the late nights. Upon arriving into this mysterious house, the two would have to shower and clean up anything that could have germs and wear these clothes. Then, they would be blindfolded and taken to a secret house and into a basement where Maggie lives as cult leaders would have members do a secret handshake and then meet Maggie who would hold a nightly meeting. There is a sense of repetition in the script as it would play into how these meetings would affect Peter and Lorna as their relationship would start to suffer. There’s also some ambiguities that is unveiled involving a young student of Peter’s school as well as a mysterious woman (Davenia McFadden) who would later play a key part into the film’s third act.

Batmanglij’s direction is pretty simple and understated as he shoots much of it in the Los Angeles area where Batmanglij manages to avoid some famed landmarks to go for something where it could be set anywhere. Yet, he maintains a sense of intimacy in much of his direction that does include some entrancing compositions in the way he puts his actors into the frame. Some of it is presented with hand-held cameras while there’s elements of suspense that Batmanglij creates to play into the world that Peter and Lorna have gotten themselves into. Especially as it would lead to this very chilling climax where it would showcase who is loyal to what Maggie wants but also reveal the other players that hadn’t been in touch with the cult as their roles are revealed. Overall, Batmanglij creates a very mesmerizing and entrancing thriller about the world of cults.

Cinematographer Rachel Morrison does excellent work with the film‘s very entrancing cinematography with its use of lights for many of the film‘s interiors and nighttime exterior scenes as well as some grainy video footage of the early lives of Lorna and Peter. Editor Tamara Meem does amazing work with the editing with its use of montages, jump-cuts, and other stylish cuts to play with the film‘s suspense and its unconventional structure. Production designer Scott Enge and set decorator Alys Thompson does nice work with the set pieces from the home that Peter and Lorna lives to the basement where Maggie conducts her rituals.

Costume designer Sarah de Sa Rego does terrific work with the costumes from the white clothes the cult members wear in the rituals to the casual look of Peter and Lorna outside of the cult. Sound editors Tobias Enhus and Patrick Giraudi do fantastic work with the film‘s sound from the way it plays up the suspense at the home where Maggie lives as well as some of sounds in the locations the characters go to. The film’s music by Rostam Batmanglij is superb for its ambient-based score with some folk textures and such to play into that sense of the unknown as he also contributes a couple of original songs that is sung by Libby Gery as well as a song by the British electronic group Hot Chip in the final credits.

The casting by Danielle Aufiero and Amber Horn is brilliant for the ensemble that is created as it features appearances from James Urbaniak as the father of a young girl that is featured prominently in the film, Richard Wharton as Maggie’s second-in-command, Kandice Stroh as a middle-aged cult member whom Lorna would socialize with, Alvin Lam and Constance Wu as other new members of the cult, and Avery Pohl as the young girl with a red hat who is one of the students that Peter teaches. Davenia McFadden is terrific as a mysterious woman who appear in the second act and later appear in the third as she would play a crucial role in uncovering the mystery that is happening.

Christopher Denham is excellent as Peter as he is the most skeptical of the two who would later find himself getting closer to Maggie while Nicole Vicius is amazing as Lorna who joins the cult with Peter as she deals with her new world and what it demands. Finally, there’s Brit Marling in a fantastic performance as Maggie as it’s one that is restrained at times but also very confrontational as she is this very odd yet engaging individual who could be telling the truth about her claims from being the future or she might be conning them.

Sound of My Voice is an extraordinary film from Zal Batmanglij that features an incredible performances from Brit Marling. The film is definitely an unconventional suspense film that plays into the world of cults and how two people try to expose them. In the end, Sound of My Voice is a remarkable film from Zal Batmanglij.

Zal Batmanglij Films: (The Recordist) - The East

© thevoid99 2014