| Major Cast | |
|---|---|
| Sean Penn | as Joe Wilson |
| Naomi Watts | as Valerie Plame Wilson |
| Sonya Davison | as Chanel Suit |
| Vanessa Chong | as Tabir Secretary #1 |
| Anand Tiwari | as Hafiz ________ |
| Stephanie Chai | as Tabir Secretary #2 |
| Ty Burrell | as Fred ________ |
| Jessica Hecht | as Sue ________ |
| Norbert Leo Butz | as Steve ________ |
| Rebecca Rigg | as Lisa ________ |
| Brooke Smith | as Diana ________ |
| Tom McCarthy | as Jeff ________ |
| Ashley Gerasimovich | as Samantha Wilson |
| Quinn Broggy | as Trevor Wilson |
| Nicholas Sadler | as CIA Tour Leader |
| MPAA Rating: | PG-13 |
| Distributor: | Universal Pictures |
| Release Date (US): | 12/03/2010 |
| Production Companies: | River Road Entertainment; Participant Media |
| Domestic Box Office (IMDB): | $9,528,092 (13 Feb. 2011) |
| Domestic Box Office (Mojo): | $9,540,691 |
| Worldwide Box Office (Mojo): | $24,188,922 |
| Production Budget: | $22,000,000 (Est.) |
This film is based on real events. Valerie Plame Wilson worked for the CIA on counterproliferation: tracking down and stopping sales of nuclear weapons and materials, or the knowledge of how to make them. Her husband, former ambassador Joe Wilson, publicly objected to a statement in George W. Bush's 2003 State of the Union address because he knew it was wrong — had in fact been tasked by the CIA to find out whether it was wrong, and then had seen the president say the opposite of what he had found.
No truth contrary to doctrine went unpunished by the Bush administration. In this case, the administration went after Joe Wilson's wife. They arranged to have her undercover status revealed by conservative syndicated columnist Robert Novak (1931-2009). The revelation's repercussions destroyed her career and her husband's business, nearly destroyed their marriage, and put at risk everyone with whom she had worked on counterproliferation issues. Finally, she and Joe resolved their differences and began to fight back.
Both Sean Penn and Naomi Watts do an excellent job of handling their roles as Mr. and Mrs. Wilson. The other standout is Sonya Davison, who plays the sister of an Iraqi man working on Saddam Hussein's nuclear bomb program. Recruited by Valerie for a dangerous mission, Chanel obtains from her brother the information sought by the CIA and then she and the scientists, previously promised safe passage, are left stranded in Iraq when Plame's cover is blown.1
So convoluted is the real story that no film could possibly capture it all. Fair Game, based on books by Joe and Valerie Wilson, does an admirable job of portraying the essentials of the story — and knowing those essentials is essential for every American.2 The film hits hard, but not as hard as it should have, in my opinion. For example, the principal actors in the real story — notably, President Bush and Vice President Cheney — are shown only in news footage. Also, the dialogue is indistinct in places. Therefore, I can't give it full marks.
My Rating:
8 out of 10
Capsule review: Despite some defects, this film is well acted and succeeds in portraying an accurate account of the main events in what has become known as the Valerie Plame affair. Those events touch on the very essence of what present-day America is about — as opposed to what America is supposed to be about. I consider it essential that every American see and understand it.
| IMDB Rating: 6.8 | Raters: 38,359 |
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