Risk spotlights the charmless demeanour of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange – Straight.com

A documentary by Laura Poitras. Rated PG

Its hard to know what to make of this. A very haphazard follow-up of sorts to director Laura Poitrass Oscar-winning Edward Snowden doc Citizenfour, which was the third film in a trilogy, Risk arrives as if it has no real place in the world. The filmmaker began this portraitif thats what it isof WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange after the release of the Iraq War Logs over six years ago, and just before his claustrophobic asylum inside the Ecuadorian Embassy in London following rape allegations made in Sweden. Heavily re-edited after a reportedly more sympathetic cut screened last year at Cannes, it now exists to seemingly spotlight the charmless demeanour of its subject.

In the films most talked-about scene, Assange insists on blaming his predicament on radical feminists, to the unambiguous horror of his lawyer, Helena Kennedy. Later, Assange mirthlessly quips that he could increase his celebrity with more sex scandals. These moments aside, Risk brings an odd lack of focus to Poitrass dour exercise, made no more convincing by her flat voice-over interjections. (I dont think he likes me in the beginning; I dont trust him in the end.)

The director insists that shes made a film about journalism, and to that extent, Assange seems to be at his most sincere when talking about his obsession with the criminality of the global power class. At other times hes vain, stubborn, haughtyor so it appears once Poitras has turned who knows how much footage into a slim 98 minutes. Its easy to forget that were watching a high-profile enemy of the United States whos been cornered inside a tiny building for over half a decade. Who wouldnt be a bit fucking weird?

Most disorienting, if you didnt already know the story, is the demise of colleague Jacob Appelbaum, seen at first in a rousing public confrontation with Egyptian telecom bosses over spying and censorship, later disgraced after another murky round of sex-abuse allegations. That Poitras admits to a relationship with Appelbaum doesnt exactly help. Eventually, a clueless Lady Gaga turns up to frivolously interview Assange, whereupon the entire muddy spectacle hits a cringe-inducing low, probably taking WikiLeaks with it. In Citizenfour, Edward Snowden repeatedly stresses that he doesnt want to become the story. Heres why.

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Risk spotlights the charmless demeanour of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange - Straight.com