SYNOPSIS:
From the director of The Bourne Identity comes this riveting thriller inspired by the experiences of real-life CIA officer Valerie Plame (Academy Award® nominee Naomi Watts). When Plame's retired ambassador husband Joe Wilson (played by Academy Award® winner Sean Penn) writes a newspaper article challenging the basis for the U.S. war on Iraq, the White House leaks Plame s undercover status leaving her international contacts vulnerable, her career in shambles and her life in danger. Crackling with sharp dialogue, gripping intrigue and heart-pounding suspense, Fair Game is the adventure that s so unbelievable, it can only be real.
MOVIE REVIEW:
Wow, to cast two actors who are known for their intense roles in the same movie – no wonder the result is an emotionally charged tale which never lets you go till the end credits roll. Naomi Watts (21 Grams, Funny Games) is often portrayed as a woman under extreme circumstances and end up being really angry. Sean Penn (The Assassination of Richard Nixon, Mystic River) is often portrayed to be an opinionated man under, well, extreme circumstances and end up being really angry. So it is only is only appropriate to put Watts and Penn together in this political thriller, considering the subject matter it explores.
Based on Valerie Plame’s memoir “Fair Game: My Life as a Spy”, the female protagonist is CIA operative Plame, who discovers that her identity was leaked by the government, making things really difficult for herself and her family. Things get suspicious when she realises that this was a doing due to an article her husband wrote criticising the Bush administration. Doubts begin to set in, and Plame begin to wonder whether it is a fight worth fighting for, to regain her right as a citizen of the country.
A movie like that really sets us thinking about how far we’d go to fight for something we truly believe in. This takes things one step further, as Plame’s career and life are in danger, so it essentially asks the fundamental question: Who will fight for you if you are not willing to come forward yourself?
Doug Liman is known for political thrillers like The Bourne Identity (2002) and The Bourne Ultimatum (2007), and he does what he does best here – producing a tightly paced and taut thriller which makes you sit up and watch. It is also without a doubt that Watts and Penn help to elevate the talky movie to another level, making apathetic audiences like this reviewer reflecting about the wrongs and unjust those people in power has created by exploiting their statuses. The righteous fury rages at a boiling point here, and at certain points in the movie, you can’t help but feel that this society we live in is nothing but a conspiracy.
When the 103 minute film finally ends with footages featuring the real Plame, you heave a sigh of relief as the straining tension is released. This is also one of those moments when you stare at the rolling credits, thinking about the shady world you live in, with all its conniving and scheming dealings which appear invisible in our daily lives.
SPECIAL FEATURES :
NIL
AUDIO/VISUAL:
The visual transfer of the movie is pristine and clear. It is presented in its original English audio track in Dolby Digital 2.0.
MOVIE RATING:
 
DVD
RATING :
Review
by John Li
Posted
on 9 April 2011
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