THE FIFTH ESTATE (15, 128 mins) ***
Starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Daniel Bruhl, Carice van Houten, Laura Linney, Stanley Tucci, David Thewlis, Peter Capaldi, Dan Stevens, Moritz Bleibtreu. Director: Bill Condon.

Based in part on Daniel Domscheit-Berg’s unflattering book Inside WikiLeaks: My Time With Julian Assange At The World’s Most Dangerous Website, Bill Condon’s film has been denounced by the website, which insists “most of the events depicted never happened”.

There are certainly elements of The Fifth Estate that beggar belief, including the central relationship between Assange (Cumberbatch) and Domscheit-Berg (Bruhl).

On screen, the white-haired Australian founder is depicted as manipulative, self-serving and bullying. He treats everyone, particularly nice guy Daniel, with lip-curling disdain which forces us to question why the two men would continue to work together when one is painted as a monster.

Cumberbatch’s portrayal of Assange is mesmerising. The vocal patterns and mannerisms all seem polished to perfection, but the cold blackness in his eyes refuses to let us in.

The film opens in London, July 2010, in the offices of The Guardian. Editor Alan Rusbridger (Capaldi), Deputy Ian Katz (Stevens) and reporter Nick Davies (Thewlis) are poised to publish their front page story about the Bradley Manning leaks in tandem with The New York Times and Der Spiegel.

The film rewinds two years to sketch the relationship between Julian and Daniel, who meet at a conference and embark on their quest to expose corruption within the upper echelons of power. Julian demands absolutely loyalty, which puts intolerable strain on Daniel’s relationship with his girlfriend, Birgitta (van Houten). Meanwhile, Deputy Undersecretary Of State, Sarah Shaw (Linney), becomes increasingly concerned by the power wielded by WikiLeaks.