Fair Game

Despite the less than stellar box office for films about the Iraq War we get another that involves the intelligence area of the war.

The issue of Weapons Of Mass Destruction was a big one when war was declared in Iraq. When it was discovered that there were no WMDs the USA lost all credibility with the world. Paul Greengrass tackled the issue earlier this year with his film 'Green Zone'. I found this a very dumbed down version of the issue which seemed the wrong way to handle it as the makers only seemed concerned with action and not the politics of the issue which was where the real drama lies. Which is why this film was so good. It seems to be a very complex issue and this film nicely gives a good view of it. The one thing the film does point out which I loved was how the US government lied over it. There are some people who seemed determined, despite evidence to the contrary, to have there be WMDs in Iraq. But the thing that makes this film so great is that it is given such a personal element by focusing on Valerie Plame and the fall out over her husband's involvement in a fact finding mission. It is shocking what happens to her but not all the surprising considering the lengths you expect the US government would go to to cover up their blunder.


Naomi Watts gives another brilliant performance here. She is one of the best actresses working today and this film proves it once again. She has that everyday quality which makes her so good. Sean Penn too is another actor that seems to not be able to give a bad performance. He is perfect as Joe Wilson because you know Sean would feel the same way Joe does if he was in that situation.


The Iraq War seems to have a lot of stories to tell and none are more relevant than that of WMDs. This is an excellent political thriller for adults who like their films so have some intelligence.