Review: Silk Road

If you’ve ever seen the words ‘Based upon a true story’ at the beginning of a movie, raise your hand.  You know the Producers want you to give them credit for telling a true story, but also want you to give them the leeway to change whatever they want.  Let the eye rolling commence.  Silk Road starts off with ‘This story is true.’; but then continues ‘Except for what we made up or changed.’

Silk Road’s Producers start off the film already winking at the camera, so that you don’t have to roll your eyes while watching their film.

A quick Google search shows there is a real life Ross Ulbricht.  This movie review is for the movie ‘Silk Road’ which stars Jurassic World actor Nick Robinson as Ross Ulbricht.  I am not concerned with what they got ‘right’ or what was changed to make it more entertaining.  This review is simply a look at the movie itself, and my thoughts on the nearly two hour fictional feature film.

The Plot – Silk Road

Ross Ulbricht, at least the one in Silk Road, is a twenty-something post-grad looking to find his place in the world.  He’s got his friend, his soon-to-be new girlfriend, and his parents breathing down his neck to find a direction in life.

He knows he wants to change the world, he just doesn’t know what he’s going to do to change it.

Rick Bowden, played by Jason Clarke, drips with stereotype.  Bowden’s machismo enters the room before he does.  The government agent fresh out of rehab, a street-wise, exposed raw nerve of a man, shows every bit of his middle age and empty wallet.

His wife tires of putting up with his *stuff*, but still wants him to be a good Dad to their Daughter.

A Proud Texan and staunch small-government Libertarian, Ross is over-educated and under-experienced, wanting everyone, including new girlfriend Julia, played by X-Men Apocolypse’s Alexandra Shipp, to know just how smart he is.

A field agent benched to a desk job and transferred to work for someone half his age, Bowden can sit back and collect checks until retirement.  An alpha male persona with zero professional credibility, no one at the DEA respects him or expects anything from him.

Ross finally finds his calling at the cutting edge of technology, using the Internet to deliver drugs anonymously.  He’s the Amazon of drug cartels, providing the network without actually making or delivering any of the illegal substances, or handling any real money.

Bowden educates himself with YouTube tutorials and leaning on his Confidential Informant, Rayford.  He builds his knowledge and his case the old fashioned way; on the ground level, piece by piece.

Two men from completely different backgrounds are on a collision course, at least that’s what we’re supposed to think.

The Good

Silk Road is Written and Directed by Tiller Russell, based off of an article by David Kushner.  And, right from the get go, he plays with what you expect from a two-headed crime thriller.

What should simply be Catch Me If You Can meets Heat meets Social Network; has all you’d expect from those, and more.

Russell shows the technical side of building a cyber business, as well as the government agents building and pursuing their case against Ross’ crypto, virtual drug market.  He handles the highly technical side of computer programming, etc; AND the passage of time, while also developing the relationships between characters.

Russell uses the secondary relationships to each of our main characters to add depth to surprisingly solitary, work obsessed leads.  Ross’ friend, girlfriend, and parents establish the human side and wasted potential of the man who’d order the killing of people he’s never met.  Bowden’s Wife and young Daughter, and his friendship with his CI give purpose to his shady dealings and motivation to his work; and reason to the ‘why’ he breaks bad.

The Bad

Not much in the Bad category, depending on what you’d hope for out of Crime/Chase/Drama.  A fast storytelling style and big canvas keeps the film moving and told on a Macro level.  For those who’d prefer a more micro level approach, or a more in depth look at the consequences of their actions; they may find the storytelling superficial.  I find it on point.

The only other thing worth mentioning is starting off the film at the end of the story.  That trope is well worn at this point, especially in this genre of film.  And, in this case, it doesn’t provide a specific mystery or purpose or depth that contrasts with the rest of the film.

The Review – Silk Road

Silk Road flows well from beginning to end.  It is well cast, acted, written, shot, and edited.

Nick Robinson and Jason Clarke are well cast as opposing forces and adversaries, yet share very little screen time to establish their relationship.  Lexi Rabe, Tony Stark’s daughter in Avengers: Endgame, jumps off the screen as Bowden’s idyllic daughter.  Darrell Britt-Gibson’s portrayal of Rayford the CI provides a moral and ethical counterpoint to Bowden as well.

Tonally, this film is much lighter and slicker than the reality of the ‘This story is true’ text we see at the start.  The ‘Except for what we made up or changed’ text also helps up lighten the tone for a surprisingly dark story, without creating a disconnect.

Overall, strong cast performances and fast moving storytelling keep the storytelling from getting as dark as the source material the film is based upon.  Worth checking out.

Rated-R, 112 Minutes, Crime/Drama/Thriller.

Additional Information

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7937254

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