Fair Game

It's ultimately a tale of heroism in the face of fearsome, powerful opposition, but as stubborn pride masquerading as ideological purity proves Wilson's Achilles heel, the film's heroes reveal themselves as flawed to an almost fatal extent, and messily, fascinatingly human.

With first-rate performances from Sean Penn and Naomi Watts and a compelling script, this suspenseful, taut drama should keep audiences nailed to their seats.

The result is a movie that is about as riveting as -- well, as your average Robert Novak column.

Watts gives a deep and Oscar-worthy performance here, displaying the steely composure that made Plame a valued NOC (non-official cover operative).

It's more than enough that the Wilsons were punished and pilloried for telling the truth. We don't need to see them sanctified by righteousness.

Fair Game, a murky potboiler based on memoirs by both Plame and Wilson, makes a hash of these piquant ingredients.

Fair Game stars three imposing performers -- Naomi Watts, Sean Penn and Sean Penn's lavish and intemperate hair, a fuming gusher of crazy-ass Sweeney Todd locks that dominates every scene. I couldn't tear my eyes from it, maybe because I couldn't maintain focus on anything else in this histrionic and shamelessly misleading wonk-work.

This is a geopolitical thriller. It would be widely entertaining were it not for the fact that it is based on real events in very recent global history in which a corrupt White House coddled officials who were guilty of treason in outing a CIA official, leaving valuable American assets around the world twisting in the wind, and then getting the media to Blame the Victim by painting Plame as a low-level insignificant paper pusher and not the high-level agent she actually was. Yes, of course that's a biased statement. But no one comes to this film unbiased. Ideologies dictate how one will respond to this powerful denoument of sleaze and connivance at the highest levels of power. If you like Bush-Cheaney you hate this vile besmirching of their unimpeachable character. Of course you do. I fear the degree to which voting Americans are handing over their birthright to the loudest shouter or the richest contributor. As a line in the film reminds us, Benjamin Franklin replied to a woman that "I have given you a republic, madam. Now it's your job to keep it." We are in danger of losing it. And oh, by the way, Naomi Watts embodies Valerie Plame so convincingly that you have to blink twice at the end to realize you're watching Plame testifying before the congressional committee, not Watts playing Plame.

Director Doug Liman relates the true-to-life story of Valerie Plame to the big screen in "Fair Game," a mostly dry political horror story that occasionally brings some important subjects to the proverbial table for discussion. Simply being alive during the events depicted in the film helped quite a bit in terms of conjuring up enjoyment. "Oh, yeah, I remember hearing about this." "So that's what she and her husband were really going through? Yeesh." The investment was present, sure, but there was more work happening on my part than I'm typically used to. There's also something to be said for the differences in either half of this movie's running time. It takes a minute to get into the actual intrigue, but once you're there, it's all good stuff. Yell-y Sean Penn. Crying Naomi Watts. The works. The first half, however, suffers from a sluggish pace and a minutely evident lack of narrative direction. Again, though, once stuff eventually goes down, everything ends up just slightly above water.

Two of the finest actors alive, a true story with a real political subplot would make a great film under the hands of Clooney (or others with strong political sensitivities). However Liman who mostly deals with Hollywood entertainment, misses the spot and brings a film without nerve.

Reposting, without the score of "10". Potential viewers might be interested in Judith Miller's review "The Plame Affair, Hollywood Style" in the Wall Street Journal. (Don't diss it before you read it..) She is a journalist who was close to the subject, so close that she was "...the only person to have gone to jail in what became known as Plamegate." She cites multiple inaccuracies and untruths. Way to go Sean Penn. Her closing line is worth noting: "Asked about the film's accuracy by the Washington Post, Mr. Wilson gave this review: 'For people who have short memories or don't read, this is the only way they will remember the period.'" To which she says "Precisely." In other words, this is fiction, not factual.

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]