Nothing But the Truth

Lurie hits closer to the bone here than he did in his ham-handed "The Contender" (2000).

A typically intelligent if occasionally overwritten political thriller, boasting a powerhouse cast.

Mostly, Nothing But The Truth operates a lot like Billy Ray's "Shattered Glass" and "Breach," offering up the sort of no-nonsense, meat-and-potatoes docudrama that's in short supply these days.

In the spirit of its title, Nothing but the Truth pivots on a plot twist that's both good and fair. And kudos to the ever-earnest Beckinsale for surviving a prison brawl as splatterific as anything Mickey Rourke had to endure in "The Wrestler."

Competently constructed and nicely acted by Kate Beckinsale and Vera Farmiga.

Nothing but the Truth has nothing much at all to do with the historical record, which wouldn't be bad if it offered something persuasive and worthwhile in return, like a reckoning of journalism and its abuses.

Nothing But the Truth is like listening to the fourth-best debater in middle school present a term paper called "Politics, Power and the Media."

After all the theories my head was bobbing with, I should have instead squeaked the toy. Nothing But The Truth So Rod Lurie, the writer and director's film would be highly recommended in my house. The hints of courtroom drama that it delivers is not the only reason. But the existence of such an unsettling climax sketched after a promising premise. So what made this ending of the film frowned upon by others. First of all, one shouldn't look at a story as a call to your own history. Or your expectations. An ending has never made me reevaluate what I have thought of that film. Yes, I could be disappointed. But not in the ending. For usually that is what is in one's mind. You choose a destination and then you start learning how to drive. What would make me question is the road that leads to that station. Why would a storyteller choose a road that would be bumpy and unsettling and even tiring at the end of the trip. Now what Lurie did isn't particularly wrong. Off track? Misleading? Sure. But you can always see in the film that Lurie is repeatedly failing on attempting any sense of sensibility out of that situation. And I don't mean that deliberate plot points that are placed to provoke your thoughts. But the theme it wishes to get out from those scenes. There is no equality. No rhythm. None whatsoever similarity. You find yourself shifting, changing positions, perspectives to find a way out. But what it does do well and what Lurie should have stuck with, is that strong grip that these characters have on the audience. So instead of looking for a way out through a mature ending, he should have craft it into a commercial thriller. With juicy twists and turns, Nothing But The Truth could have been nothing but a sharp and satisfying case.

Nothing but the Truth is a decidedly captivating film with a killer lead performance from Kate Beckinsale, but as it reveals more and more about itself, the worse you begin to look at the film. While not inherently bad, it does wind up being nothing more than slightly above average due to the ending. One part political thriller, one part journalistic thriller, and another part prison drama, Nothing but the Truth is a film that really makes you think and makes you question how you would respond to the same situation. It is taut and well crafted, thrilling you to the very end as you wait to see how the twists and turns play out. Unfortunately, the pay-off is beyond dumb and makes you realize the entire internal debate you had about character motivations was a waste of your time. This is highly unfortunate, but luckily, the proceeding hour and a half is quite good and really engaging, so I can overlook a terrible ending slightly.

Attention, le Prix du silence est un film à procédures, procureurs, juges et avocats : je demande aux personnes sensibles à l'assoupissement de prendre leurs dispositions. La Cour ne saurait tolérer des concerts de ronflements durant l'audience. Cela étant dit, nous aimons toujours à retrouver la charmante Kate Beckinsale dans un rôle éloigné de ses préoccupations habituelles : elle ne pète la gueule ici à personne, même pas à un petit vampire ! elle est digne et têtue et en tant que journaleuse qui vise le Pulitzer (on dirait une lanceuse d'alerte de nos jours) ainsi qu'à dénoncer quelque magouille présidentielle, elle reste droite dans ses bottes et ne divulguera pas sa source. C'est pas une balance, on vous dit ! Même si elle risque la taule... car il en faut des fouille-merdes pour fouiller la merde, qu'est-ce que vous croyez ! en tout cas, elle s'en tire assez bien la Kate, de même que le Matt Dillon en cynique procureur spécial fédéral aux ordres du Pouvoir (avec un grand P). L'histoire reste claire et n'est pas pire qu'une autre (si on apprécie le genre) mais se traîne ici et là en longueurs et petite guimauve pas chère, car notre reporteuse héroïque est mariée et a un petit garçon... un petit con mal élevé d'ailleurs. Il aurait fallu raccourcir et condenser ce qui constitue certainement de bonnes intentions en soi mais l'Enfer en est pavé à ce qu'on dit. Le pire sans doute concerne la fin et l'identité de la fameuse "source"... et là on rit aux éclats devant tant de naïveté. A moins que ce ne soit du foutage de gueule... mais non, c'est tellement premier degré que ça ne peut être que pure bêtise d'un scénariste aux abois. Non sans déconner, vous vous relisez des fois à Hollywood ? j'en ai pas l'impression.