Given that I was watching it at a cinema in London, I was surprised to see a classification certificate from the Irish Film Classification Office appear at the beginning of 'The East'; I know there are shedloads of people from the Republic in London, but I didn't think things had gone that far! Anyrhoda... an agent for a private security company goes undercover in a group of eco-terrorists ('The East' of the title) to try to deduce what their next targets are going to be, so her boss (an icily-efficient Patricia Clarkson) can get business from the targeted companies. The eco-terrorists' spiritual leader is played by Alexander Skarsgård (him off 'True Blood') who has done a Brad Pitt and uglied-up for the occasion by growing awful facial hair (and why is a Swede playing an American in an American production anyway? Did they run out of American actors?) Although the terrorists themselves are portrayed as a fairly well-rounded bunch - there is discussion about whether their ends justify their means - the businesspeople they target are almost all soulless evildoers - only once does one of them get to point out "But people want cheap coal!" shortly before the terrorists try to dump her in a polluted lake. And the ultimate reveal about the terrorists' relationship with the agent is not a surprise. Brit Marling makes a personable heroine, although I'd like to know what came first: her winning the role, or her title of 'Producer'...
