Imperium

I liked how this was set up, Daniel Radcliffe does well here as a young fbi agent who goes undercover into white supremacist America, attempting to foil a terror plot.

It was pretty cookie-cutter stuff in my opinion, how they portrayed the white supremacist. The Dallas Wolf character did well, I like that actor too. But it just seemed...

Cheap? Not sure what other word I can use to describe it. It lacked the depth that an American History X type movie had, that it should've had, or could've had. I didn't like the filming either, how they set up some of the scenes.

It all unraveled pretty predictably, no crazy twists or turns, no real suspense.

This could have been better, but it was still watchable.

Issues like fascism, white supremacism and terrorism have far more dramatic potential than shown in this movie.

Particularly with regard to the characters. Even the base soldiers in nowadays movements are more complex in their state of mind and appearance and exist in more ambiguity than pictured here. The writers should have invested another 15 minutes in character-builing elements.

The movie is just too cliché-ridden and simplifying - one both sides of Nates employments. In particular the Neo Nazi Movement in Europe is by far more perfidious and dishonest then those pictured in the movie.

As much I liked many performances of Daniel Radcliffe of the past years, he doesn't convince me at all in this one.

At least the movie is a professionally designed production. But that's pretty much it.

Pros: 1. The score brilliantly lathers the film in a constantly tense and nerve-wracking feel. 2. The movie provides a fair enough representation of white power views which serves to heighten Nate Foster's (Daniel Radcliffe) ideological struggles and make them feel more real. 3. Daniel Radcliffe, Toni Collette (Angela Zamparo), Chris Sullivan (Andrew Blackwell), and Seth Numrich (Roy) give brilliant performances. 4. The tension and suspense are built up really well and it keeps the viewer on the edge of their seat for the entire duration.

Cons: 1. In the beginning, Nate Foster strangely claims that Usman (Roger Yawson) did nothing but talk about taking action, even though he brazenly admitted to supplying materials for bomb-making, and he even went to detonate said bomb. 2. The film promulgates the false narrative that white supremacists commit more terror attacks than Muslims. The FBI has explicitly highlighted that it is the other way round. 3. Daniel Radcliffe's American accent is rather patchy in places, and at times sounds a little forced. 4. The fissures between the white power cells is introduced, and then forgotten about. The movie never truly examines these tensions. 5. The third act is completely rushed, as it tries to introduce a veritable bomb threat within the last 25 minutes with very little build up.

This film should have been a bit better than it is - it's not bad, not bad at all - but it's just not quite as impact-full as it should be.

Some of the dialogue is quite deep and the films message is pertinent - hint, it's not really about neo nazi skinheads, well it is, but it's not really. It's about the true heart of fascism, beyond the history, myths and conspiracy.

What is interesting is that it makes you realise that victims are more likely fascists than bullies - that any group that claims to be the 'victim' is probably nurturing some level of fascism.

It's interesting food for thought but, as I mentioned, isn't quite as powerful as it could have been - just needed that little bit more.

This is all about compelling storytelling combining with just as compelling acting.

The basic plot of the film is nothing new, many films have covered this material.

Its the intricacies of the story that make it work, the interpersonal drama and tension are really powerful.

Potter excels again in this movie showing he is an actor to look for when he releases something. He doesn't always hit it out of the park but on this occasion, he does.