Nothing But the Truth

Nothing But the Truth: after outing a covert CIA agent, a journalist is given the choice to either reveal her source or do time in jail. The film is completely hinged on the decision to put either free speech or national security first; presenting both sides of the argument in great detail, and very fairly – however the film makes you think about it, and decide for yourself. The story is topped off with a fantastic ending that wraps up the film neatly and explains certain decisions and convictions held throughout the movie. It’s also got quite the cast: Kate Beckinsale lures you in for the duration, Matt Dillon is great as the prosecuting hot-shot, Vera Varmiga is very believable… but everyone is outshone by Alan Alda who acts his socks off in what few scenes he has – he’s truly captivating. There’s no frills, no fancy tricks, no cheesy direction, no mood music, which make it all seem very realistic, especially coupled with the solid characters and fine acting. Like Season 5 of The Wire / State of Play there’s a nice insight into the grind of a journalist, and some of the loopholes / technicalities they need to watch out for. Nothing But the Truth presents you with a sensitive political dilemna, and lets you deal with it – a very effective, intelligent ‘thought-provoking’ political drama.

Score: 7.5/10

“A man can live a good life, be honorable, give to charity, but in the end, the number of people who come to his funeral is generally dependent on the weather.”