Fair Game

Starring: Naomi Watts, Sean Penn, Noah Emmerich, Sam Shepard
Directed by: Doug Liman
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Drama, Thriller
2010

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: CIA agent Valerie Plame (Naomi Watts) has her identity leaked to the press after her husband (Sean Penn) publishes a damning article about our misguided reasons for going to war in Iraq.

Review:
Tim: I liked Fair Game more than I thought I would. I wasn't exactly sure why the Valerie Plame saga deserved a movie of its own. However, once I got into the story, it's hard not to feel a little outraged at the Bush White House for causing the events depicted in the film. Now, I know that the movie is a bit one-sided, but it does paint a pretty damning picture of the government.

What most impressed me about this film is how little I knew about what happened with Plame and her family. Of course, I was somewhat familiar with the story based on news reports and articles I read, but I never took the time to really understand it. It just didn't seem important to me. This movie was a stark reminder that the people in the news are actual people- mothers, fathers, daughters, sons. We sometimes forget that. I loved that this movie humanized Valerie Plame and the trials she and her family went through.

I liked that this film didn't try to do too much. While the film might be a bit biased and not 100% accurate, I felt like director Doug Liman did a really good job of not sensationalizing the story. The movie comes across as realistic and accurate, and that makes a bit difference. I didn't expect that the Plame story would hold my attention for 108 minutes, but it did.

I liked Naomi Watts in the Plame role. She did a good job of identifying with the character and giving a believable portrayal on screen. She played the part with restraint, which is what the role needed. She's good. I liked Sean Penn as her husband, although I thought their on-screen chemistry was only so-so. I suppose I could see them as a married couple, but overall, it was a bit of a leap. He was better in a few scenes by himself. Penn is certainly a talented actor, though, and worked well here.

While this story is interesting, it has some limitations as well. I did feel a little bit of outrage at the government (especially when Scooter Libby was pardoned) and how they ruined this woman's life, but that was really the only emotion I felt. I did sympathize a little with Plame, but there wasn't any kind of real powerful emotion involved. I didn't really reach an empathetic level. It's good that Liman got some emotion out of me, but he simply didn't get enough.

The story is interesting, but there's very little in the film that really sticks with you after watching the movie. There's a few great scenes, but too much of the film is a bit too forgettable.

While it does have some flaws, Fair Game is still an intelligently made, well acted movie about a real life event that far too many people (me included) overlooked. I really appreciated the movie informing me about the Plame story, and I enjoyed watching this movie. It might not have been great, but it's a pretty good film all around.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Green Zone, The Kingdom, W.