"Nothing But the Truth"

In 2005, the identity of Valerie Plame, a CIA agent, was exposed in the New York Times after her husband wrote an op-ed piece accusing the Bush Administration of manipulating intelligence in order to justify the invasion of Iraq. Judith Miller, a New York Times journalist, was the woman who had received this top-secret information from a source she refused to identify, leading to her incarceration for contempt of court. Her source later came forward and was revealed to be L. Scooter Libby, Vice President Cheney's chief of staff.

Two nights ago, I rented a movie that used this real-life story as inspiration to create a thrilling fictional account of first amendment rights and the power of government. "Nothing But the Truth" stars Kate Beckinsale as journalist Rachel Armstrong. Rachel discovers through a top-secret source the identity of a CIA agent at the center of a government cover-up. Rachel and her editor-in-chief (played by Angela Basset) decide to publish a story revealing Erica van Doren (Vera Farmiga) to be a CIA agent who concluded that the Venezuelan government was not behind the assassination attempt of the President of the United States - a report that the government ignored in order to go forward with plans to bomb Venezuela in "retaliation" anyway (quite obviously for other political motives).

Once the story is published, Rachel is immediately taken into custody by the FBI and put on trial in front of a federal grand jury. She is asked to reveal her source, and she refuses, so she is jailed - a tactic used in order to get her to eventually reveal the identity of her source. The movie progresses by focusing on Rachel's time in jail and the consequences it has on her career, family and personal health.

I don't want to give too much away, but I must tell you that her source is in fact revealed in the end - and it is quite shocking. This is definitely a movie to rent. Why it was ignored by awards is beyond me. In fact, it only ever made it to limited release in the theaters.

Kate Beckinsale's performance is incredible - her subtle emotions, silent fortitude, flawless American accent (Beckinsale is English). I haven't seen her in many movies before. All I could remember was "Pearl Harbor" and I hated that movie, so that may have made her acting extra special to me here. Vera Farmiga as the outed CIA agent also proves to be quite the powerhouse. Feelings of confusion, anger and betrayal are all played out so well through her facial expressions and interactions with other key characters.

All in all, the movie is excellent. It tackles the idea of "principle" - how far is one person willing to go to protect another person or idea, just based on principle alone? Will they let it ruin their lives and if so is it worth it? Also, is the authority of the federal government and its ability to overrule a crucial national security issue or just an abuse of power?

What you think now may surprise you after seeing this excellent film.

Here is the movie's trailer: