All’s (un)fair in love and war

Director: Doug Liman
Starring: Russell Crowe, Elizabeth Banks, Liam Neeson, Brian Dennehy

As a covert officer in the CIA’s Counter-Proliferation Division, Valerie Plame (Watts) leads an investigation into the existence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Meanwhile, her husband, diplomat Joe Wilson (Penn), is drawn into the investigation to substantiate an alleged sale of enriched uranium from Niger. But when the administration ignores his findings and uses the issue to support the call to war, Joe writes a New York Times editorial outlining his conclusions and ignites a firestorm of controversy.

After directing big crowd pleasers like The Bourne Identity, Doug Liman tries his hand at something new in this politically explosive thriller. Though based on a true story with a well-known outcome, Fair Game is as suspenseful as any fictional thriller and features Watts and Penn at the very top of their acting game.

Those hoping for a documentary-style analysis will be disappointed as Liman condenses or skips over several key factors, including the essential roles of journalists Robert Novak and Judith Miller. But it’s no easy feat to keep audiences on edge while retelling a familiar story and the film manages this with considerable success making Fair Game riveting viewing.

Genre: Action | Biography | Drama
Age Restriction: PG-13
Runtime: 108 min