Nothing But the Truth

The ending reminded me of "The Sixth Sense". The only thing is, it was just us (the viewers) this time. Although the major part of the script was focused on Beckinsale's character which she flawlessly portrays, but it was Vera Fermiga who stole the show with her limited screen time. Since, it was a work of fiction which was somewhat inspired by real events, a more screen space to Fermiga's character would have certainly maintained the intensity in the plot which clearly declined after she parts away. You have to watch it to believe it. These two ladies faced off each other twice in the movie and I have to say those were the moments you couldn't forget. As for the whole movie, it is something you don't see regularly on Hollywood's menu and therefore is definitely worth your time.

The ending will leave you asking this question to yourself - "Was she really protecting the source? Was it really about her principles?" And yes, you will get your answers shortly and that answer changes every opinion you had about the characters that you could have vouched for.

And this my friend is what makes this piece of work alluring!

After a Presidential assassination attempt, he orders an attack against Venezuela. Columnist Rachel Armstrong (Kate Beckinsale) writes that the President ignored CIA operative Erica Van Doren (Vera Farmiga) when ordering the attack. The media descends on Erica and her life is turned upside down. The government moves to force Rachel to name her secret source. She refuses and is jailed for contempt.

Of course, it's a ripped-from-the-headlines kind of story. They make sure to say that this is fictional. Writer/director Rod Lurie does a reasonable job but this has a bit too much TV movie feel. Maybe he should have not copied so much from the headlines. There are big enough actors involved but it needs big cinematic flourishes. I won't give any spoilers, but I do love the big reveal at the end.

The great strength of films about investigative journalism often lies in the rising tension, the meticulous progression of a discovery, and the suffocating sense of danger. Nothing But the Truth takes a different approach. Instead of throwing us into a spiral of increasing revelations and unsettling suspense, it hands us the bomb right from the start: journalist Rachel Armstrong (Kate Beckinsale) has the story ready, a national scoop revealing that the president ignored the findings of a CIA agent, and now the film follows her as her life unravels in the wake of the consequences of her publication.

It's a valid approach, of course, but inevitably less engaging for those who appreciate the weight of a thorough investigation and the unfolding of a growing mystery. Here, the game has already begun, and what remains for the viewer is to watch the protagonist struggle against a system that demands one non-negotiable thing from her: the revelation of her source. The issue is relevant, resonating with the debate over press freedom and professional confidentiality, but the film chooses to tell this story more through the lens of personal drama than through the tension of the legal or political conflict.

The narrative structure reinforces this focus by adopting a nearly diary-like format, highlighting Rachel's endless days in prison as her marriage collapses and her relationship with her son weakens. The intention is clear: to humanize her resistance, to make the audience feel every lost day due to her moral stubbornness. But was this the best approach? The drama works, but something is missing to make it truly impactful. Rachel's imprisonment could have been a suffocating hell, an overwhelming existential dilemma - but instead, the film takes a predictable path, lacking that unbearable sense of weight that would have made this journey memorable.

Furthermore, the film could have enriched its narrative by better exploring characters like the Special Prosecutor (Matt Dillon). He isn't a villain, just a man doing his job within the system - which, in itself, could have been an interesting point of conflict. But he remains functional, with no space for his perspective to be explored in a way that would have further challenged both the protagonist and the audience. What if we had seen a glimpse of hesitation in him? There is a clear choice to keep the drama centered on the journalist, without delving too much into the other players in this legal chess game.

The ending, however, partly compensates for the lack of impact, with a final ironic revelation about the source's identity. It's a nice touch, even though it doesn't resolve the feeling that the film was lacking a more intense energy, a more penetrating suspense. Nothing But the Truth is competent, with a solid script and effective performances, but its more sentimental and less investigative approach may not be for everyone. It's a film that fervently defends press freedom, but in the end, it feels like a highly important article that, out of fear of crossing boundaries, settles for merely skimming the surface. It lacked the boldness of a daring investigation, that scoop that turns an ordinary story into something unforgettable.

FIRST... Let us FOCUS on the Title's Content and Context!

From the very onset, via a blink of an eye assassination attempt on the U. S. President, TRUTH gets a headlock on your psyche and doesn't let go. It manages to be both extremely entertaining and thought-provoking, tackling perhaps one of the most important issues facing Americans in the 21st century: Balancing the First Amendment Right of journalists to protect the confidentiality of their sources against the government's right to guarantee Ntional Security during wartime!!! And it manages to do so in a very unpretentious way, without any of the In-Your-Face preaching so often found in films dealing with this topic.

KUDOS to Rod Luries taut and low-key direction coaxing a remarkable ensemble performance from a truly stellar cast!

Kate Becksinsale shines as an unshakeable journalist who refuses to buckle under constantly mounting Federal pressure to coerce her into revealing her source. Vera Farmiga (who never caught my attention before) delivers a solid performance as the outted CIA agent at the center of a firestorm. For Matt Dillon fans, an interesting note: His performance as the Special Prosecutor hand-picked by the President to find the Traitor Tout Suite is a laudable departure from his usual tough-guy/low-life roles!.

Rounding out this genuinely outstanding cast are, Angela Basset, Alan Alda, Edie Falco and David Schwimmer. There is one final element to mention that adds a potent punch to TRUTH, but any details would be a SP**LER, so....when you see it, you WILL know!!!

(9********* Stars) ENJOY! / DISFURTELA!

Any comments, questions or observations, in English o en Español, are most welcome!

This rates up very high on my scale as one of the better movies of 2008. Its not written as though a high and mighty political messenger wrote it, yet you do not have to look to deep to find the meaning. The star studded cast of Matt Dillon, Alan Alda and Kate Bechinsale brings out the qualities that was needed to make this type of film truly majestic.

The intense vigor of how the prosecuting attorney played by Matt Dillon, (which I first thought was going to be way out of character for him, but he pulled it off so effectively that he now has a new fan), actually attacks our protagonist is so real and matter of fact.

Being based on a true story helps in the matter of believability and the injustice of our justice system.

8/10