Before you ask, this is not the dodgy 90's movie with Cindy Crawford and one of the Baldwins. This is a new Drama/Thriller based on the true story of a CIA Agent who was outed by the press in Washington in the early noughties.
I hadn't seen anything about it other than an interview in the metro with the real CIA Agent - Valerie Plame - on who's book the film is based. My reason for going is slightly more complicated. One of my friends asked me what films were out which were suitable to take her mum to. I suggested this - although I knew very little about it I figured it would be suitable - or The Adjustment Bureau, which I had already seen and would recommend for anyone.
In the end her mum went with this but decided 20 minutes into the film that she'd rather watch Hall Pass. A film I did not suggest or recommend as I thought it wouldn't be suitable or any good. I decided to stick with Fair Game and was later told that my assumptions about Hall Pass were both correct.
As mentioned above, Fair Game is based on the true story of CIA Agent Valerie Plame, who was outed by the press in 2003. The film sheds light on why this happened to Valerie - her husband, diplomat Joseph Wilson, was sent to Niger on behalf of the CIA to investigate claims that Saddam Hussein was purchasing and shipping bomb making supplies. Wilson found no evidence of this and said as much in a story he sold to the New York Times. This subsequently upset the US Government as it made their invasion of Iraq look un-necessary (which it probably was). To make Wilson pay, they drag his wife's name and reputation through the papers. The film tells us what became of her life, her job and her family in the fall out.
It's not the most riveting film, I will concede to my friend's mum on that fact. But it's also not a bad film. It's an interesting story, if you like political expositions and films that allow you to look behind the scenes at the US Government. I don't really get my kicks from such movies and so it didn't really appeal to me in that sense. It was well acted by both Naomi Watts and Sean Penn and the direction and writing were both adequate for the story at hand.
If you like your 'Drama/Thrillers' to be more drama than thriller and you enjoy political films I think you'll enjoy this. For anyone else taking their mum to the cinema I'd stick with The Adjustment Bureau. 6 out of 10.
Viewing Date - 15th March 2011
UK Release Date - 11th March 2011
Cast Overview:
Naomi Watts ~ Valerie Plame
Sean Penn ~ Joseph Wilson
Khaled El Nabawy ~ Hamed
Ty Burrell ~ Fred
Sam Shepard ~ Sam Plame
Bruce McGill ~ Jim Pavitt
Brooke Smith ~ Diana
Michael Kelly ~ Jack
Noah Emmerich ~ Bill
Director ~ Doug Liman
Writer(s) ~ Jez Butterworth and John-Henry Butterworth (Screenplay), Joseph Wilson (Book The Politics of Truth) and Valerie Plame (Book Fair Game)
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