BBC Sherlock Fan Forum - Serving Sherlockians since February 2012 / The Fifth Estate -Assange film

**Posted by tonnaree** October 21, 2013 5:57 pm

Entertainment weekly has deemed it "the biggest flop of the year" according to the box office receipts.
I still take pride in the fact that even in most negative reviews they have still praised BC's performance. Every movie he's in is not going to be a huge hit. And I'd like to believe he's ok with that. He's said himself that he chooses his roles based on a lot more than money.

**Posted by besleybean** October 21, 2013 6:28 pm

He gets paid the same regardless!

**Posted by tonnaree** October 22, 2013 1:33 pm

http://insidemovies.ew.com/2013/10/21/benedict-cumberbatch-fifth-estate-disaster/

Since I mentioned Flight above, it’s also worth noting that that movie starred Denzel Washington, an actor with a stellar box-office track record. As popular as Cumberbatch is because of his roles in TV’s Sherlock and in the recent Star Trek movie, we now know he’s not yet someone who can carry a movie. In fact, it will be interesting to see if the stench of Fifth Estate sticks to him in any way moving forward. And might it hinder his Oscar chances for his two other promising movies: 12 Years and August: Osage County?

I suspect that he will be spared this season, just as most critics found something interesting and redeeming in his portrayal of Assange even as they disparaged the movie. But Cumberbatch’s future as a “movie star” is murky, even though it’s unclear if that’s his endgame. “Based on his choices, his focus seems to be on building an interesting career rather than trying to become a star quickly,” says Tom Heller of Everest Entertainment, the company behind Mud and 127 Hours. “He is picking unique and challenging projects with talented directors, even if his roles are part of an ensemble. The real test may be how The Imitation Game and The Lost City of Z perform, since he will be the lead in both of them. But he is hugely talented, and there are not a lot of actors quite like him at the moment.”

**Posted by SusiGo** October 22, 2013 3:34 pm

I would be absolutely happy with that. Let him be unique. I would prefer him not to become the new Cruise or Pitt or whoever.

**Posted by tonnaree** October 22, 2013 4:27 pm

*high five Susi*

**Posted by SolarSystem** October 22, 2013 4:54 pm

I totally agree with you, Susi. He might even be too talented to become the next Tom Cruise.

**Posted by TicTacToe** October 22, 2013 5:05 pm

An actor can be very good but if the subject of the movie is not well... To be honnest i like the guy but a movie about Julian Assange is not very interesting (to me anyway) so i will pass.

Last edited by TicTacToe (October 22, 2013 5:05 pm)

**Posted by SusiGo** October 22, 2013 5:12 pm

SolarSystem wrote:
I totally agree with you, Susi. He might even be too talented to become the next Tom Cruise.

Tbh, I picked the worst possible example (for me). I have never liked Tom Cruise's work or looks. Just my opinion. I hope and think that Benedict will regard himself always more than an actor than as a Hollywood star and that he will also engage in smaller projects, stage plays, radio work, etc.

**Posted by SolarSystem** October 22, 2013 5:23 pm

Same here, Susi. Cruise gives me the creeps, to tell the truth, probably because I know far too much about his private life. But I also think that he is not all that, uhm, talented.
And I can't imagine that Benedict will ever evolve in such a direction. There's nothing bad about a blockbuster movie now and then, but I suppose it would bore him to death to do nothing but that. And if that means that sometimes he will decide to do an 'important' movie which will turn out to be more of a flop than a top because not everyone wants to see it, so be it.

**Posted by SolarSystem** October 23, 2013 6:30 am

For everyone from Germany: today there is a huge article about the movie and Assange in the "Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung". Didn't have time to read it yet, but it's... huge.

Oh, but one thing though: it says that Benedict's performance is outstanding. Well.

Last edited by SolarSystem (October 23, 2013 6:34 am)

**Posted by SusiGo** October 23, 2013 6:59 am

Thanks for the hint, Solar. So I shall have to run to the newsagent once again. Third time in one week. Wonder why.

**Posted by SolarSystem** October 23, 2013 7:13 am

Yeah, that's quite a sacrifice, I can imagine...

btw, tomorrow you might want to buy this:
http://www.musikexpress.de/movies/article486501/preview-die-zweite-ausgabe-von-me-movies-ab-donnerstag-am-kiosk.html

Last edited by SolarSystem (October 23, 2013 7:14 am)

**Posted by SusiGo** October 23, 2013 7:29 am

Maybe I should just tell the newsagent to collect everything Benedict for me.

**Posted by Mrs. Watson** October 23, 2013 1:55 pm

The reviews to Benedict's performance have been almost unanimously good (excellent actually). The movie as a whole hasn't been received so well by the critics but that wouldn't stop it from being a box office success if the subject was appealing to the average public. The truth is it isn’t. Many people don’t know who Assange is, and from those who do know, many don’t care about his story. This movie doesn’t have car chases or a love story as their main subject so I don’t see how anyone could think it to be blockbuster material.

The Fifth Estate might do excellently all over the world but if it flops in the US, it will be considered a failure. To be honest, I don’t think it will be a big hit overseas but even if it was it wouldn’t matter much to the producing companies. On the contrary, “12 Years A Slave” might work well in the US but have only a moderate success or none in other countries that can’t relate to the subject. “Star Trek” (the first Abrams’ movie) was a failure here in Chile even when it was a big hit in the US. Of course we are an insignificant market but my point is that not all movies work well in all countries.

Even movie stars like Tom Cruise or Johnny Depp are immune to failure so I don’t see how EW expects Benedict (who is not a movie star in the US yet) to be able to attract a large crowd to see TFE just because he is in it. Will this affect his chances to become a “movie star”? I don’t think so mainly because I think the biggest obstacle to be a movie star might be Benedict himself. He has shown that he chooses his projects based on how interesting is the character/script more than in how much money it could make. He might end up in a big blockbuster… or not. He will certainly end up in interesting and/or original stories, but we all know that blockbuster not always have the most interesting or original stories.

Do we want him to be a “movie star”? For me it would be certainly easier to get to see his movies on the theater but I’m not sure if I want him to be a very popular actor. After all, there is something very “exclusive” about following an actor that most people (here) don’t know

Last edited by Mrs. Watson (October 23, 2013 1:56 pm)

**Posted by SolarSystem** October 23, 2013 2:16 pm

SusiGo wrote:
Maybe I should just tell the newsagent to collect everything Benedict for me.

Maybe you should, he might offer you a discount...!

Mrs. Watson, I totally agree with what you've said.

Last edited by SolarSystem (October 23, 2013 2:18 pm)

**Posted by Mattlocked** October 23, 2013 2:33 pm

And I soon have to move to a bigger town so it's more easy to find all those interesting magazines.

**Posted by Mattlocked** October 28, 2013 9:57 pm

Wikileaks in "Titel, Thesen, Temperamente", German tv.
Starts at 00:12:34

http://mediathek.daserste.de/sendungen_a-z/431902_ttt-titel-thesen-temperamente/17821284_-die-sendung-vom-27-oktober-2013-

**Posted by SusiGo** October 28, 2013 10:16 pm

Thank you. It's nice to see that German media seem to be quite positive towards the film.

**Posted by FluteLocked** October 29, 2013 3:21 pm

Thanks!!
Would have missed this.
Yes, it's nice to see something positive about the whole film.

Until now I have only seen articles about it in 'Die Zeit' or in 'Heute Journal' (German weekly newspaper and television news).
They both critizised it (especially 'Die Zeit') but on the other hand said Benedict Cumberbatch's acting was very good. (so I could take it )

Last edited by FluteLocked (October 29, 2013 3:22 pm)

**Posted by SusiGo** October 29, 2013 3:32 pm

FAZ was quite good as well. And I have not read one bad word about his acting which is something to be happy about.