Fair Game

Fair Game (2010)
Directed by Doug Liman. Starring Naomi Watts and Sean Penn.

I was just young enough during the George W. Bush presidency and Valarie Plame scandal that I didn't really follow the full story. This movie does an excellent job filling in those gaps for me, detailing one of the biggest scandals to rock the intelligence agencies in recent years. There are apparently many discussions online about historical accuracy and creative liberty in the film... but as the book cites Valarie Plame and Joseph Wilson's autobiographies as sources, it's clear that, at the very least, their side of the story is being told well.

The film is directed by Doug Liman, best known for his thriller spy films like The Bourne Identity and Mr. and Mrs. Smith. At times, the overly dramatic tendencies from those films show through, somewhat out-of-place in a political biopic. So, perhaps the film has some difficulty with the balance between its multiple genres. Yet, the acting is superb, and the story drives the movie with a relentless intensity. Above all, it's the mood of the film that stands out... it simmers with anger at the system, and leaves the viewer feeling similarly ticked off.

This is a smart film with a "docudrama" leaning... one that shows such a nasty side of our political system that it's hard to believe it's based in real events.