The film is based on true events leading to the blowing of covert CIA agent Valerie Plame’s cover by the US administration in 2003.
Film: Fair Game (U/A)
Director: Doug Liman
Cast: Naomi Watts, Sean Penn, Ty Burrell, Paul Bettany
Rating: *** ½
Fair Game, unlike what the name suggests, is a terse drama and not an over-the-top action thriller. The film is based on true events leading to the blowing of covert CIA agent Valerie Plame’s cover by the US administration in 2003.
But why did the government so ungraciously disclose an undercover operative’s identity to the media, endangering her life and that of her loved ones (not to mention her numerous sources outside the US)?
The answer can be found in the days prior to the invasion of Iraq, when WMD paranoia had compelled the CIA to assign Plame and her husband, diplomat Joe Wilson (Penn), on fact-finding missions which ultimately failed to allay America’s fears.
Once the call to war is sounded, an infuriated Wilson writes a piece in The New York Times elaborating on his mission to Niger, a site from where uranium was allegedly being sold to Iraq. By hinting that the administration had turned a blind eye to his findings to justify war, Wilson incurs the wrath of the States.
Now, while enduring an onslaught of accusations from the media and their fellow Americans, they must set the record straight even if it means taking on the upper echelons of the White House itself.
Fair Game is everything Lions for Lambs wasn’t. It is not only a retrospective on America's Iraq policy but also a take on how every individual is empowered to challenge the status quo. The film which depicts courage under fire does so in an intensely thought-provoking manner.
Watts, as a tough woman who in all vulnerability must look on helplessly as her life unravels, is excellent. Penn as the obstinate Wilson who is determined to garner popular support in his fight against the top dogs is powerful. The two, as a married couple, share great chemistry through good times and bad.
You won’t find bullet-dodging and nifty terror suspect-nabbing techniques in Fair Game, nor are there high-octane chases and explosions. You will have to wait for the 24 movie for all that.
But there is plenty of suspense and a level-headed portrayal of the workings of an intelligence agency along with an important civic message that is put across nicely.
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