One Mann’s Movies review of Official Secrets (2019).
Bob the Movie Man’s Rating:
Certification:
US: R. UK: 15.
A film about whistle-blowing against the backdrop of the Iraq War of 2003 doesn’t sound like a very appealing watch, but “Official Secrets” defies all those fears. It’s a cracking little UK movie.
Gun cocked. Keira Knightley plays the GCHQ translator putting conscience before government. (Source: Entertainment One).
The world has changed.
Two years after 9/11, and the West has its sights set on Saddam Hussein’s regime in Iraq. Tony Blair and George “Dubya” Bush (together with that behind-the-scenes pit-bull Don Cheney – as featured in “Vice“) are determined to persuade the United Nations that WMD – Weapons of Mass Destruction – are in place, whether they are or not. London is threatened with being a nuclear wasteland within 45 minutes. Of course, while certain areas of the press (including the leadership of “The Guardian”) support the war, the majority of the British people think this is total bollocks! Two journalists – the irascible and volatile Ed Vulliamy (Rhys Ifans) and the head-down but relentless Martin Bright (Matt Smith) – are determined to uncover the truth behind the two government’s machinations.
A quietly powerful performance. Ralph Fiennes as legal begal Ben Emmerson. (Source: Entertainment One).
Enter Katharine Gun (Keira Knightley), an interpreter at GCHQ in Cheltenham who, when brought into a loop of the dirty government dealing, takes great exception to it. Unfortunately, she has signed the Official Secret’s Act, a document incompatible with a conscience, and with a Kurdish husband Yasar (Adam Bakri) seeking British residence, she is in no position to throw stones.
Can Katharine’s legal team, led by human rights lawyer Ben Emmerson (Ralph Fiennes), keep her away from a long prison sentence?
Oops, spoilers. It might all be a dream though…. (Source: Entertainment One).
Those familiar words… “Based on a true story”.
We’ve seen lots of fictional movies about the little guy up against the immovable mass and sunglass-wearing creepiness of the state: Will Smith‘s excellent “Enemy of the State” is a great example. Here the frisson in the script by Gregory Bernstein, Sara Bernstein and director Gavin Hood, based on the book by Marsha and Thomas Mitchell, is that it is all based on fact, brought brilliantly to life with interspersed news footage.
It’s easy to forget, with nearly 20 years having passed, just how completely f****d up the world was after 9/11. Sabre-rattling became a US obsession, and the news-reel shots of Bush and Blair trying to justify their actions is really quite vomit-inducing.
Guardians of the Galaxy. Matthew Goode and Matt Smith on the investigative team. (Source: Entertainment One).
All star cast.
Keira Knightley gives one of her best performances in years as the rather naive every-woman for appreciates she’s digging a hole but has only dawning realisation as to how deep it goes.
But the supporting cast is also outstanding with Smith and Ifans being enormously entertaining as the journos, supported by their supportive boss – Downton’s Matthew Goode. Ralph Fiennes delivers a typically underplayed and powerful performance as the legal beagle. Other well known faces popping up include Tamsin Greig and W1A’s Monica Dolan.
A familiar name crashes into the script. Human rights lawyer Shami Chakrabarti (Indira Varma). (Source: Entertainment One).
How gripped you will be will depend on your memory!
Mine is officially useless… so the denouement when it came was a surprise to me!
But this is a little British film that really packs a punch. Extremely watchable and with a star cast, this ones a keeper. Highly recommended.
Trailer:
The trailer for “Official Secrets” is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3vIYy38Fys.
