Movie review: 'The Fifth Estate,' 3 stars

The WikiLeaks drama "The Fifth Estate" is a fine bit of ripped-from-the-headlines cinema.

Beginning with a sensational opening credits sequence that documents the history of media, Bill Condon's film depicts the rise of Julian Assange (Benedict Cumberbatch) and his famed leak repository, chronicling the events surrounding the famous release of war logs, diplomatic cables and more.

It's linear and too steadfastly evenhanded -- we simply don't need the State Department's side to be dramatized here.

Still, there's a propulsive energy that keeps things moving and fits the breakneck speed of modern media, and Cumberbatch masterfully embodies the charismatic enigma at the center of it all.

The Fifth Estate
Directed by Bill Condon
Starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Daniel Brühl
Rated R