Nothing But the Truth (2008)

Very nice movie, a bit slow. Kate Beckinsale refuses to not look completely edible even when she has jail scenes, while Vera Farmiga looks just as good as to make one think it will be a movie about a cat fight. But it is far from it. I think the best acted role in this movie belongs to Matt Dillon, though.

The film portrays the trials (pun intended) of an American journalist who is jailed and then imprisoned for withholding the source of her article. Why? Because it involved matters of national security. Is national security more important than truth and integrity? The movie tries to explain why it is not by detailing how deep this is inscribed in the U.S. legislation. Basically, you can say whatever you want, just not what they don't want you to say.

Kate Beckinsale does a very good role, a bit airy and a bit brave. "A water walker", someone calls her character in the film. Best description ever :) David Schwimmer manages to be annoying in this one, as well.

Bottom line: a must see movie, however keep in mind that even if it based on the true story of Valerie Plame, it is very loosely so. Yet, without being American, my guess is that the legislation portrayed in the film exists and any reporter could and would go through the main character's ordeal if having enough backbone.

Fmovies: Commentary:

Quietly, cautiously and self-consciously, Rod Lurie has for nearly a decade now worked at building a sterling reputation as the most significant writer-director of substantial films since Oliver Stone. In such movies as "The Contender" and Abc-TV's "Commander In Chief", Lurie has dealt with politics and journalism and, in his uniquely appealing way, the odd, complex, symbiotic relationship between them. That vision was extended to also comment on--criticizing more than celebrating--the mystery of macho values, be they in actual combat or the athletic sphere, in "Resurrecting The Champ", "The Last Castle", and TV's "Line Of Fire"; here's a theme Lurie is certain to explore to its fullest in his announced remake of the controversial Sam Peckinpah classic "Straw Dogs".

Meanwhile, Lurie has returned to his original combination of preoccupations for "Nothing But The Truth", the film that will, if there is any justice in the world (and at the box-office), arc his reputation from cult indie filmmaker for the educated-elite into the most important mainstream movie maker in the business, able to entertain with edge of your seat suspense while quietly informing you about the most important elements in our society.

Clearly, "Nothing But The Truth" was inspired by the Valerie Plame/Judy Miller incident: the film focuses on a curious relationship that develops between a reporter (Kate Beckinsale) and a spy (Vera Farmiga) when the former "outs" the latter in a newspaper story. Yet anyone expecting a combination of docudrama and roman-a-clef will be in for a surprise. Rather than remain slavishly true to the details, or even the essence, of the real-life situation, Lurie employs the premise but loosely, in order to explore those issues that most matter to him: the powers of the press and the politicos, as well as the impact of their natural conflict on the all-important First Amendment.

But don't think for one moment that this turns out to be some dry 'message movie.' "Nothing But The Truth" plays as a Hitchcockian thriller, right down to the twist ending that makes a mainstream viewer want to go back and watch the movie over again, just to try and spot the hints of what is in store for us at the conclusion so as to try and grasp how we "never saw it coming" even though Lurie prepared us every inch of the way.

There are great lines here that people will be quoting for years as phrases and statements enter into our idiomatic English. Lurie's direction proves as scintillating as his writing: subtle touches make clear that he knows how to tell a story visually as well as verbally. Likely, film critics of today and cinema historians of the future will debate his smart directorial decisions; yet they are so subtly done that the average viewer will remain entirely unaware of them (the way, of course, it should be), blithefully enjoying a terrific 'show' as all the artistry is understated.

Best of all, Lurie--though clearly a liberal--never preaches to us in the manner we have come to expect (and, if the failure of W is any indication, finally reject) from Oliver Stone. Stone's movies are all centered around some idea which he hammers home. Lurie's films contain numerous ideas without ever becoming simplistically ideological. Though we clearly grasp what he thinks about important issues, Lurie leaves us free to make up our own minds. St

From the very onset, via a blink of an eye assassination attempt on the president, TRUTH gets a headlock on your psyche and doesn't let go. It manages to be both extremely entertaining and thought-provoking, tackling perhaps one of the most important issues facing Americans in the 21st century: Balancing the First Amendment Right of journalists to protect the confidentiality of their sources against the government's right to guarantee national security during wartime. And it manages to do so in a very unpretentious way, without any of the In-Your-Face preaching so often found in films dealing with this topic.

Kudos to Rod Luries taut and low-key direction coaxing a remarkable ensemble performance from a stellar cast. Kate Becksinsale shines as an unshakable journalist who refuses to buckle under constantly mounting Federal pressure to coerce her into revealing her source. Vera Farmiga (who never caught my attention before) delivers a solid performance as the outed CIA agent at the center of a firestorm. For Matt Dillon fans, an interesting note: His performance as the Special Prosecutor hand-picked by the President to find the Traitor Tout Suite is a laudable departure from his usual tough-guy/low-life roles.

Rounding out this outstanding cast are, Angela Basset, Alan Alda, Edie Falco and David Schwimmer. There is one final element to mention that adds a potent punch to Truth, but any details would be a SPOILER, so, when you see it, you'll know.

(9 Stars) ENJOY / DISFRUTELA!

Any comments, questions or observations, in English o en Español, are most welcome!

Nothing But the Truth fmovies. Anytime I see a project that has Rod Lurie attached, I can't get to a screening fast enough. His writing is always intelligent, decisive, thought provoking, timely and topical, with a story that embraces integrity, ethics, morals and social conscience. His direction is always with military crispness, sharp and clean. His casting choices are impeccable and his characters well crafted, multi-textural, fractured human beings that have a fire about them that draws one as a viewer ever deeper into the story and the film. Lurie now attains even greater heights with the riveting NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH. Championing justice and the high price of integrity, conviction and principle, he takes a page from today's headlines and makes it his own with a story involving a top notch journalist and an exposed undercover CIA operative and the the fight to protect not only a source but the values of motherhood, family, privacy and the right to know.

Kate Beckinsale is mesmerizing as Rachel Armstrong. A physically demanding role given the intense prison sequences, her physicality pales in comparison to the emotional intensity and strength she puts forth on screen. Like a caged animal, she calculates every move, every action, every reaction with an internal ferocity that ignites every scene. Equally amazing is Vera Farmiga as Erica Van Doren. Having just seen Farmiga as a devoted loving WWII mother in "The Boy In The Striped Pajamas", I was blown away by her tough as nails, hard core performance as Van Doren which she balanced with a carefully toned maternal edge; an act equaling that of Beckinsale's maternal double edged sword.

As if the women aren't reason enough to be on the edge of your seat with Lurie's taut script, enter Noah Wylie, Matt Dillon and Alan Alda. Noah Wylie was a surprise casting choice as Avril Aaronson but he is a completely neurotic firey self-involved frenetic attorney - to a tee. But then toss in a little taste of a legal oil slick in the form of Matt Dillon as prosecutor Patton Dubois and the ante is upped exponentially. As Dubois, Dillon brings new levels of arrogance and self-importance to the perception of attorneys (and trust me, many are very arrogant) which sparks dynamic chemistry between he and Beckinsale. And then there's Alan Alda. Always a welcome addition to any film, and particularly a Rod Lurie film, Alda is the voice of reason, the conscience of the film. He gives reasoned voice to the character of Rachel and never moreso than in one of the most impassioned and empowered monologues addressing the Supreme Court. That exquisitely written argument and Alda's delivery is phenomenal. It is the social conscience and fundamental essence of the film. Powerful and priceless, it's eloquence defies description.

Lurie himself even says, "I think Kate is just fantastic in the film, as is Vera and Alan. " A real coup was the casting of one of the seminal First Amendment attorneys in the United States, Floyd Abrams, who stepped in not only to play Judge Hall, but he also served as technical adviser on the film. Sometimes he would stop in the middle of the shoot and say 'this is wrong' to which Lurie would tell him, 'You're playing it, play it right." The meticulous detail of the written structure is equaled by Lurie's fine tuned direction. Metaphorically addressing the issues of the film through light and texture, the visual aspect of the film is as interesting as the dialogue. What strikes me most, however, is the intricately wov

I saw this film at a press screening last weekend. Wow! What an achievement. This story is masterfully executed, creating a lyrical and deeply affecting empathy with the film's lead character, played with Oscar-worthy precision and nuance by Kate Beckinsale. This film is truly about something, which isn't as common as I think we'd hope with movies. It has truly meaningful themes that are dramatized in an entertaining, emotional and often eloquent way. The acting is top-notch. The direction is confident.

I don't want to say much about the plot because it has some nice twists and touching moments that come from the organic development of the characters' relationships, their conflicts and their fight for what they believe in. This film is about principle. This film unapologetically stands for the power of our word and the example we set for our children. It's a must-see this Holiday season. It may only have a limited release due to complications experienced by its distributor, so get out now and see it! Don't just wait for DVD. This one is an outstanding experience in the presence of others because in many ways it's about what unites us when we believe in ourselves and the integrity of other.

NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH does what the newspapers have basically stopped doing: it focuses on issues that affect the nation from the very top of the government down, revealing the machinations of behind the scenes secrecy that could break the Bill of Rights into pieces. In many ways it is a horror movie, if the story line of the film 'based on a real incident' examined in such a carefully realized way is unknown to many viewers Yes, movies are movies and need to alter names and places and events to create a dramatic effect, but the story here is one that needs diligent attention as we continue to re-evaluate the dense and covered shadows that remain from the last administration.

An attempted assassination of the President too quickly leads to naming Venezuela as perpetrator and under the guise of 'national security' that country is placed as the target for a possible preemptive war (sound familiar?). Cover-up begins and an undercover CIA operative is disclosed by a gutsy female reporter whose story is so important that it suggests the possibility of being in line for a Pulitzer Prize. But the government doesn't want the truth to leak and the reporter is eventually jailed and imprisoned for refusing to reveal her source of the story. The ending of the film is indeed terrifying.

The well selected cast includes Kate Beckinsale as the brave reporter, Vera Farminga as the outed CIA operative, David Schwimmer as Beckinsale's frightened husband, Matt Dillon as the government henchman assigned to get Beckinsale to reveal her source and Alan Alda as the lawyer who supports Beckinsale's stance (his speech before the Supreme Court will be remembered as some of the finest and most gripping writing in years). Others in strong supporting roles include Angela Bassett, Noah Wylie, and Floyd Abrams.

Sam Lurie wrote and directed this engrossing film with the good sense to not hammer the audience over the head with the fairly obvious comparisons to the shenanigans of the Bush/Cheney administration, leaving the evidence in plain sight that when the President decides what can and can't be known to the public - in the name of 'homeland security' - our constitutional rights and even our democratic form of government is at stake. This is a fine movie, beautifully acted, and SHOULD be seen by everyone. Grady Harp