FAIR GAME
RYAN: Fair Game, the new Naomi Watts/Sean Penn Oscar contender, is quite dramatic.
CAROLINE: It’s based on the true story of the CIA agent, Valerie Plame, whose identity was outed by the White House after her husband dared to contradict George W. Bush. We’re all familiar with the basics of the story from a few years ago, but it was great to learn all the details. It’s a really interesting movie.
RYAN: I was hoping it’d be a little more action-packed like Alias, but it’s really more of a straightforward retelling of events. There’s a lot of technical jargon and insider CIA terms that were a little confusing at times.
CAROLINE: Really? I thought it was so good. I loved Alias too, but that was so not real life. I loved seeing what this woman’s job was and how she had to lie to everyone she knows, saying she worked for a venture capitalist firm. Meanwhile, she’s traveling the Middle East with fake identities and running these crazy missions. It’s so fascinating and badass. And I appreciate that Naomi Watts actually resembles the real life Valerie Plame.
RYAN: I felt like Sean Penn had the juicier role. He gives yet another Oscar worthy performance as Naomi Watts’s husband, who used to be an ambassador and is the only person in her life who knows what she really does for a living. He has several great, intense speeches that remind us what a phenomenal actor he is. I was waiting the whole film for Naomi to get a speech like that, but she never really did.
CAROLINE: Sean Penn really is amazing. His performance is what fired me up in the trailer and made me want to see this movie. He and Naomi Watts were great together too. This movie is definitely very fact-based and in some ways is like watching the news, which normally would bore or annoy me; but I really didn’t mind it here. I loved all of the intrigue and political cover ups.
RYAN: It’s crazy and unfair what happened to her, so I’m glad her story is getting the big screen treatment. It’s so compelling to watch.
CAROLINE: She and her husband both wrote books on the topic and the movie is largely based on those. I’m glad they were able to make something out of their outrage because this is a story that really needs to be heard. I’m just so angry for her; I couldn’t believe what they did to her career. It’s so dangerous and wrong. This movie will definitely get you riled up.
RYAN: It was also infuriating to relive the whole George Bush/WMD debacle and that we were lied to about why we went to war, and shocking that the government would reveal Valerie Plame’s identity just to shift the focus off of their mistakes. It just aggravates me to think about it.
CAROLINE: Don’t let it ruin your day, honey. Other fun things about the movie – a small appearance from Ty Burrell, the hilarious dad from TV’s Modern Family, and Callie’s ex-GF from Grey’s Anatomy.
RYAN: Not to mention the original Fiyero from Broadway’s Wicked, Norbert Leo Butz, who’s also a Tony winner for Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.
— BOTTOM LINE —
RYAN: I was into this movie, but it was a little bit slower paced than I expected. I was bored a few times, but I wasn’t disappointed. I think it’s worth seeing and I really enjoyed it; I was just hoping for a little more action.
CAROLINE: I got exactly what I was expecting with this movie, which is a fascinating and shocking story of political intrigue. I’m not sure it’s a must see on the big screen, but for those who are interested, it’s completely worthwhile. Great story, great cast, great performances. Another great movie from director Doug Liman, who I’ve loved since Swingers.
— RATING —
