Pssst, want to check out Nothing But the Truth in our new look?
Top comments
-
Siskoid
Nothing But the Truth is broadly based on the Judith Miller/Valerie Plame case of 2005, in which a journalist blew a CIA operative's cover and was jailed for contempt of court when she refused to give her source to the authorities (The Newsroom did something similar in its last season as well.) The similarities end with the set-up, however, as the film shows what would happen if everyone involved stuck to their principles absolutely. The first half of the film is very strong, definitely capturing the feel of the big newspaper, and of the intelligence community. It loses some of its shine in the second half though, turning into something of a prison movie/legal procedural (as good as Alan Alda is as the lawyer) and churning out a polarizing twist that I personally didn't mind (possibly because I figured it out). Ultimately, my reference to The Newsroom is useful, because like Aaron Sorkin, writer-director Rod Lurie is a political utopist, presenting us with a heightened reality where people serve principles greater than they are. Trying to judge the characters based on what "you would have done" merely forces you to admit your own weakness and selfishness, or crassly justify your sensible pragmatism. It is a futile enterprise. 8 years 4 months ago -
