Review of Nothing But the Truth (2008) by Ceph J — 30 Apr 2009

LOL, the movie starts off by stating that it's based on true events but the people are fictitious. The true event concerned a NY times reporter outing a CIA agent Valerie Plame by columnist Robert Novak after her husband wrote an article in the NY TIMES stating that there were no WMD in Iraq so the war was unjustified. I remember the leak came from VC Cheney's office and it's a federal crime.

Kate Beckinsale, in her best role to date, plays the reporter and Vera Farminga plays the outed CIA agent. The movie's plot is muddled--the US invades Venezuela in retaliation for an assassination attempt on the president, and the CIA agent's involvement in an article declaring the attack was unjustified. Still with me? Anyway, the main attraction here is the superb acting by Vera Farminga and Kate Beckinsale. The movie is less about whether journalists are entitled to protection over keeping sources confidential--the Supreme doesn't offer protection. I actually found the movie is more effective about showing how women are affected by their professionalism. How do they maintain being a mother, wife, and keep their job.

It's a thoughtful movie and you are rewarded for watching. Alan Alda is superb as a defense attorney and Matt Dillon, as a villainous prosecutor, embodies everything that was wrong with the Bush administration. The screenplay is lean and the movie is well edited. What prevents this movie from being great (and getting 5 stars) is the silly twist at the end. Why would a reporter protect a source who is not even breaking the law?