THE FIFTH ESTATE | FAMILY MOVIE REVIEW INFORMATION FOR PARENTS AND KIDS

"THE FIFTH ESTATE"
(2013) (Benedict Cumberbatch, Daniel Bruhl) (R)

QUICK TAKE:: Drama: A small organization attempts to protect whistleblowers through its website that displays leaked sensitive documents that threaten to expose both companies and governments for their wrongdoings.

PLOT:

It's 2007 and Julian Assange (BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH) is a man who believes in social justice and thinks that can be achieved through an organization and website he's created called WikiLeaks. Its purpose is to allow whistleblowers of any stripe to post sensitive and potentially damning and damaging information about corporations, banks and even governments without fear of reprisal, thanks to the anonymity safeguards built into the system. German computer expert Daniel Berg (DANIEL BRUHL) is impressed by what Julian has created and joins the cause, sometimes to the annoyance of his coworker girlfriend, Anke Domscheit (ALICIA VIKANDER). As time passes, Daniel later brings on computer hacker Marcus (MORITZ BLEIBTREU) to beef up their online security, while Icelandic social protestor Birgitta Jonsdottir (CARICE VAN HOUTEN) also joins the cause.

Their work not only draws the attention of traditional reporters such as Nick Davies (DAVID THEWLIS) who works for The Guardian newspaper in London, but also various U.S. government types -- such as Sarah Shaw (LAURA LINNEY) and Jim Boswell (STANLEY TUCCI) who work for the State Department, as well as Sam Coulson (ANTHONY MACKIE) over at the White House -- who have growing concerns about how WikiLeak's operations could put their undercover agents and informants across the world in harm's way.

As WikiLeaks grows in popularity and influence, it's only a matter of time before its posting of leaked documents puts it firmly in the crosshairs of government powers that don't want their information divulged. That's all while its format threatens to undermine the traditional world of reporting, especially with Julian's behavior increasingly heading toward megalomania.

WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?: Those interested in the real-life story might want to, as might those who are fans of anyone in the cast.

WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: R: For language and some violence.

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