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17 May 2012

Fair Game Review

FAIR GAME STARRING: Naomi Watts, Sean Penn, Ty Burrell, Brooke Smith, Thomas McCarthy, Jessica Hecht, Noah Emmerich, Bruce McGill and Sam Shepard WRITTEN BY: Jez Butterworth and John Henry Butterworth; based on the books, The Politics of Truth, by Joseph Wilson, and Fair Game by Valerie Plame DIRECTED BY: Doug Liman Rated: PG - 13 Genre: Drama Release Date: 05 November 2010 Review Date: 09 November 2010 A very rewarding and not highly practiced treat in cinema, is sitting down in your seat at a theater and having no idea what kind of movie you're about to watch; not the premise, not the rating, not the genre. I've been fortunate to do this a few times and it can be awesome. If you're wondering how you can do this, well - every once in a while for whatever reason, a studio will release a film with A-list talent but only put it in a selected handful of theaters across the country. As such was the case for me when I drove 15 miles to see Fair Game at my city's `artsy' theater, knowing only that it was the new Sean Penn. I was also surprised to learn at the film's close, that it was based very largely on a true story. Fair Game shows a couple who was sabotaged by the media when they exposed that the government had blatantly lied about where Iraq may or may not have gotten their supposed nuclear warheads, way back at the brink of the Iraq war. Now before you get all fussy due to the touchy political subject matter, RELAX. I'm a proud American and served in the Military and I didn't find the film offensive. We are all aware that Sean Penn is known for voicing his lefty political views rather radically; but I strongly think 99 percent of us with brain stems will agree with his character's speech at the end of the film. This movie isn't about bashing Bush or his administration and it's not about being anti-American and painting a portrait that displays Iraqi terrorists as the good guys and us as the bad guys. If anything, it's a film showcasing both our beautiful God-given rights to freedom of speech and that if you KNOW firsthand that someone lied, then you may want to do something about it; sometimes no matter what the cost. I'm not going to say whether or not the film is 100 percent accurate because I don't know that and you don't know that. Hell, the filmmakers probably don't even know that. But we ALL know that things were shady to say the least for a while there, and that surely somewhere, SOMEONE lied - big or small, they did; and it was most likely more than one person. Anyway - Fair Game shows us a character named Joe Wilson (Sean Penn) who volunteered to go to Africa on behalf of the CIA's request, to investigate if and or how weapons of mass destruction could have been shipped from there. The film shows us very clearly, that they could not have been. Our character knows this. Oh, and he was asked to do this by the way, because his wife Valerie (Naomi Watts) is a CIA operative, and Joe has some experience in this field, the details of which I'll leave for you to discover. When Joe returns, he is baffled to soon learn that we are going to war, and that the President and the Pentagon have more or less claimed that it was proven that these WMDs did in fact come from Africa, and that Iraq has them and that we need to step in. Being one of, if not THEE only American who knows this to be not true, Joe naturally feels a duty to report this. So he writes and article, has it published and all hell breaks loose for him and his wife, and that's all I'm going to tell. There are however, a slew of small additional things to mention to you. The acting is sensational; specifically from both Penn and Watts, no shocker there I'm sure. The cinematography is terrific as is the direction by Doug Liman who also brought us The Bourne Identity and Mr. and Mrs. Smith. And the film is brilliantly written and it displays scenes of realistic moments we can all relate to; such as political discussions at a dinner table with friends or family who are quick to run their mouths about things of which they have no personal experience with. You know, dinners where everyone at the table is an expert and can solve all the world's problems? Yeah, dinners like that. If anything, aside from being entertaining from start to finish, Fair Game is a movie that makes you think. It makes us realize how the media will often twist and skew things to be interpreted the way they see fit; and don't worry - I'm not blind to the fact that Hollywood does this as well. Although the odds are high that it will never happen to you or me, each and every one of us could be `fair game' to the media or the government's vendetta driven shenanigans at any moment. But what's great about America, and what this film is trying to convey to us, is that thanks to our amazing Constitution... the media and government can be fair game as well.

Markus Kellow 17 May 2012

War and Spin ... then the result?

War. Media. Spin. Economics. We must be reminded that the media is a scathing dog, a venomoussnarler that can be fighting for you or against you. The witnesses tothis battle of info-rage get brainwashed, we get brainwashed, andbecome the court of public opinion. While the movie does not address the reasons the war was started, itbrilliantly displays how official bullshit can be thrown over us like acomforting shroud, and that shroud can stimulate our anger as well asjustify our anger. Brilliantly performed by Sean Penn and the beautiful Naomi Watts. I amhumbled by their talent and dedication. I am humored by the desperateIMDb rants of those whom still think the war was a 'good' thing - I sayto you ranters, wake up for your own good :)Governments lie, don't forget it.

16 May 2012

Getting The Truth Out...At A Great Cost

Much of the rationale given by the Bush Administration for America going to war against Iraq and Saddam Hussein at the end of the winter of 2003 centered around claims made by British intelligence officials that Hussein's regime sought out mass quantities of yellowcake uranium from the country of Niger in western Africa. Those claims had been put into the State of the Union speech that Bush had given in January of that year. As it turned out, though, those claims, when thoroughly investigated, turned out to be untrue. Subsequently, a high-level couple, ambassador Joe Wilson and his wife, CIA operative Valerie Plame, were outed by cronies inside the Bush White House and placed in the middle of a firestorm in which anyone attempting to discredit the Bush Administration in any small way was censured in the press. It is their fight that was depicted in the 2010 film FAIR GAME.Watts and Penn portray the real-life couple at the center of this firestorm. Penn, as ambassador Wilson, investigates the claims about yellowcake uranium and aluminum tubing supposedly being used to make nuclear weapons being exported between Niger and Iraq back in the late 1990s, as it appears that America is on the brink of ousting Saddam Hussein from power in Iraq. Meanwhile, Watts, as Valerie Plame, makes it her business to get reliable sources of Iraq's intelligence out of there to give the CIA the proper information. Penn asserts that such a trade of uranium not only could not have occurred, but that the aluminum tubing in question is not of the kind that would be suitable for doing what the Bush Administration says Hussein intends it for--to create a nuclear bomb. Thus, the rationale for going to war in Iraq has just been rendered fraudulent, but a little too late for those Iraqi civilians and U.S. soldiers caught in the middle. Even so, however, Watts' name and status are both exposed in the media from within the bowels of the administration, rendering her damaged goods, and infuriating Penn.The other significant thing the whole imbroglio causes is a huge schism between the couple, since Watts is initially unwilling to fight back while Penn makes the rounds on the networks to tell the truth of the matter. The allegations against both of them mount in the press, which keeps hounding them for their alleged lack of patriotism; and finally, both of them come out of the shadows to tell their side of the story. Watts manages to make her decision after having a talk with her father (Shepherd), a veteran of the Vietnam War who, because of his military life, had to move both himself and his family to twenty different locales around the world and America. And while they didn't come out of the imbroglio completely unscathed in the media, in the end, the Bush Administration and its minions didn't either.Incisively directed by Doug Liman, who was responsible for the 2002 Robert Ludlum adaptation THE BOURNE IDENTITY, FAIR GAME is a powerful expose of the Iraq war as seen through the eyes and experiences of its most noted diplomatic figures, every bit as powerful a political film as any, documentary or otherwise, made since 9/11, and, indeed, every bit as thorough as films like ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN and THIRTEEN DAYS. While there are political considerations to be considered in this film, especially give that Penn was one of the most ferocious and outspoken critics anywhere of the Bush Administation from the beginning, this is equally a hard-hitting character study as well; and Penn and Watts do an excellent job of portraying the beleaguered Wilsons, while a whole host of good character actors are superb in their roles of the dark underlings that work for Team Bush. Liman, who also does the cinematography, shoots FAIR GAME in a very documentary-like style, and in the same bleached-color visuals that were a trademark of Spielberg's SAVING PRIVATE RYAN, MINORITY REPORT, and MUNICH.Both Valerie Plane and Joe Wilson risked everything they had to get the truth out there about the Bush Administration's dissembling with regards to a non-existent connection between Saddam Hussein and 9/11; and FAIR GAME is an excellent film depicting that struggle, clearly one of the best films of 2010.

Kirk Honeycutt 16 May 2012

The riveting, flesh-and-blood story behind the headlines.

A.O. Scott 12 May 2012

Things worked out between Joe and Valerie, and for their real-life models, who are now the subjects of a terrifically entertaining movie. But that does not mean that justice was done, or that truth prevailed.

Kit Bowen 12 May 2012

Fair Game may make your jaw hurt from clenching your teeth...

mdarmocida 02 May 2012

What a crock

First I should offer full disclosure in that I didn't see this movie,nor would I ever see/support a movie that was so overtly represented asnon-fiction, when in fact it is nothing but fiction. Initially I wantedto write this review to explain why this movie is nothing more thanliberal propaganda. However, another reviewer (Larry Cline) had prettymuch taken those words out of my mouth and put them down so eloquentlythat I see no need for repetition. Suffice it to say that Valerie Plamewas an office worker, not an operative; and that her own husband wasthe first to "out" her, followed by Richard Armitage. Too many peopleblindly believe the media and what's in the movies, so I thought I'deducate you enough to think for yourself. This woman was never "outed"and her "outing" did nothing to endanger her or her family. On thesurface the movie looks well made and full of intrigue so if you wantto watch it, then enjoy. However, keep in mind this movie is about asnon-fictional as Lord of the Rings.

Roz Laws 01 May 2012

An engrossing, well-written and acted movie.

virek213 29 April 2012

Getting The Truth Out...At A Great Personal Cost

Much of the rationale given by the Bush Administration for Americagoing to war against Iraq and Saddam Hussein at the end of the winterof 2003 centered around claims made by British intelligence officialsthat Hussein's regime sought out mass quantities of yellow cake uraniumfrom the country of Niger in western Africa. Those claims had been putinto the State of the Union speech that Bush had given in January ofthat year. As it turned out, though, those claims, when thoroughlyinvestigated, turned out to be untrue. Subsequently, a high-levelcouple, ambassador Joe Wilson and his wife, CIA operative ValeriePlame, were outed by cronies inside the Bush White House and placed inthe middle of a firestorm in which anyone attempting to discredit theBush Administration in any small way was censured in the press. It istheir fight that was depicted in the 2010 film FAIR GAME.Watts and Penn portray the real-life couple at the center of thisfirestorm. Penn, as ambassador Wilson, investigates the claims aboutyellow cake uranium and aluminum tubing supposedly being used to makenuclear weapons being exported between Niger and Iraq back in the late1990s, as it appears that America is on the brink of ousting SaddamHussein from power in Iraq. Meanwhile, Watts, as Valerie Plame, makesit her business to get reliable sources of Iraq's intelligence out ofthere to give the CIA the proper information. Penn asserts that such atrade of uranium not only could not have occurred, but that thealuminum tubing in question is not of the kind that would be suitablefor doing what the Bush Administration says Hussein intends it for—tocreate a nuclear bomb. Thus, the rationale for going to war in Iraq hasjust been rendered fraudulent, but a little too late for those Iraqicivilians and U.S. soldiers caught in the middle. Even so, however,Watts' name and status are both exposed in the media from within thebowels of the administration, rendering her damaged goods, andinfuriating Penn.The other significant thing the whole imbroglio causes is a huge schismbetween the couple, since Watts is initially unwilling to fight backwhile Penn makes the rounds on the networks to tell the truth of thematter. The allegations against both of them mount in the press, whichkeeps hounding them for their alleged lack of patriotism; and finally,both of them come out of the shadows to tell their side of the story.Incisively directed by Liman, who was responsible for the 2002 RobertLudlum adaptation THE BOURNE IDENTITY, FAIR GAME is a powerful exposeof the Iraq war as seen through the eyes and experiences of its mostnoted diplomatic figures, every bit as powerful a political film asany, documentary or otherwise, made since 9/11, and, indeed, every bitas thorough as films like ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN and THIRTEEN DAYS.While there are political considerations to be considered in this film,especially give that Penn was one of the most ferocious and outspokencritics anywhere of the Bush Administration from the beginning, this isequally a hard-hitting character study as well; and Penn and Watts doan excellent job of portraying the beleaguered Wilsons, while a wholehost of good character actors are superb in their roles of the darkunderlings that work for Team Bush. Liman, who also does thecinematography, shoots FAIR GAME in a very documentary-like style, andin the same bleached-color visuals that were a trademark of Spielberg'sSAVING PRIVATE RYAN, MINORITY REPORT, and MUNICH.Both Valerie Plane and Joe Wilson risked everything they had to get thetruth out there about the Bush Administration's dissembling withregards to a non-existent connection between Saddam Hussein and 9/11;and FAIR GAME is an excellent film depicting that struggle, clearly oneof the best films of 2010.

Christy Lemire 29 April 2012

While it's convincing as a political thriller, Fair Game is, in some ways, actually more intriguing as an examination of a marriage under pressure, the kind none of us could possibly imagine

Tony Medley 26 April 2012

Ignoring the political bias of two leftwing filmmakers, Penn and Liman, this reverse roman á clef is a rip snorting political thriller, probably close to the truth.

Anthony Quinn 26 April 2012

The script, based on memoirs of their experience by Wilson and Plame, has two stories to tell -- the run-up to Iraq, and the portrait of a marriage under fire -- and combines them very adroitly.

25 April 2012

Surprising and truthful

This review is from: Fair Game (DVD) I was surprised by this movie. I had read the book but I had (and still have) some unanswered questions. Primarily, how did Karl Rove get off without even a reprimand? How did Richard Armitage avoid prosecution? That is not to say that Scooter Libby was blameless, but he seems to have absorbed ALL the blame. If you are looking for answers to those questions, this movie won't help. If you want to know whether or not the press is in the hands of the Right, you've come to the right place. There is a huge gap between truthful reporting and what really happens.

Dave White 24 April 2012

If you watched the news while all this was going down, you don't really need to see this movie, but it's good that it exists.

Tim Evans 22 April 2012

A fine political thriller.

Claudio Carvalho 22 April 2012

Lives Destroyed by the Farce about the MDW in Iraq

Valerie Plame Wilson (Naomi Watts) is a woman with double life: she isthe wife of the former Ambassador Joe Wilson (Sean Penn) and mother oftwo children. But she is also and efficient CIA Operations Officerworking in the Nonproliferation Center and in charge of severaloperations.In 2003, when Bush administration manipulates the information relativeto massive destruction weapons to justify the invasion of Iraq, JoeWilson writes an article in the New York Times criticizing thegovernment and telling that the intelligence research had beenmanipulated. In reprisal, the government leaks Valerie's identity todiscredit Joe, affecting their professional and private lives andalmost destroying their marriage."Fair Game" is a bold film about the life of Valerie Plame Wilson, whohas had her life destroyed by Bush administration in part of the farceabout the existence of massive destruction weapons in Iraq to justifythe invasion of that nation. But it seems that later the Wilson familywrote two books and won lawsuits against members of the government andthey might have resolved their lives at least financially speaking.The film glances also at the lives of Iraqi scientists that trusted onValerie and were murdered by the Iraqi secret service, but does notshow the fate of the civilian population that had their country bombedand invaded due to a farce. My vote is seven.Title (Brazil): "Jogos de Poder" ("Power Game")

Matthew Toomey 22 April 2012

My criticisms regarding the story's delivery are largely negated by the strong performances from Sean Penn and Naomi Watts.

ladymoonpictures 22 April 2012

Political Folly_Liberal Attempt to Distort and Confound_Underhanded Penn Diatribe

Okay, we know Penn's a good buddy of the Venez. dictator Hugo Chavez.Would we expect anything fair and balanced from this unAmerican? Ofcourse not. And that's exactly what we get. A movie hell bent onattempting to prove Iraq didn't have WMD's. Of course! they had WMD's!They used the chemical ones on their own people, killing over 5,000 ofem. Frankly, it wouldn't have mattered if they didn't have any withsuch a corrupt, evil, murdering dictator as they had in Hussein! If ourguys would've only found a pack of firecrackers...they were justifiedin the unified invasion...agreed to by the Dem's AND Repubs as well asthe international coalition! So please, let's quit, once and for all inblaming Bush and Cheney for something that was agreed to by our entiregovernment, albeit a few and I mean few exceptions. And the only realthing we can blame on Cheney (excepting Hallieburton) is that he's alousy shot!

21 April 2012

All's fair in politics and war...

Telling the true story of CIA agent Valerie Plame, `Fair Game' gets a lot of things right. I personally haven't seen `Nothing But the Truth', the 2008 adaptation of this account, but from what I hear this particular film is the better of the two. While I still feel that the first half of the film is too long (it outweighs the second, arguably more important act, and so it should have been trimmed) I can't really fault the film for it definitely builds a strong, and certainly tense, structure from start to finish. Both Naomi Watts and Sean Penn are in fine form, but it is definitely Watts who carries this film. You can feel the emotional exhaustion dripping from her face. The story is poignant and controversial, and one that all Americans should pay attention to. Valerie Plame was compromised thanks to her husband's blunt opinions, but the lengths went to in order to cover up a governmental illegality was corrupt beyond words. The strength of the Plame family, while not always understood, is commendable and something we all can learn from. This is a (recent) biopic that shines and sucks the audience in from the very start.

Walter Chaw 20 April 2012

confirmation that all is well for only as long as everyone agrees not to know anything