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Fair Game starring Naomi Watts & Sean Penn

Posted on April 22, 2011 Written by ripitup

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Fair Game starring Naomi Watts & Sean Penn
Fair Game starring Naomi Watts & Sean Penn. Image via sinema3.com.

Fair Warning: This movie is a political drama, based on real events – which is based on the book written by an ex- CIA agent. It has a documentary feel to it, and if you don’t like political dramas, with no action sequences, you should stay away. But it is well-told, well-shot and well-acted. And I liked this movie!

Movie Info:

Starring: Naomi Watts and Sean Penn.

Co-starring: Noah Emmerich

Guest Appearances: Ty  Burrell, Sam Shepard, Rebecca Rigg, Brooke Smith,

Made in: 2010.

Awards: Mill Valley Film Festival Award (for Best Narrative Feature), Freedom of Expression Award (National Board of Review)

Written By: Jez Butterworth & John-Henry Butterworth

Based on the Books By: Joseph Wilson (The Politics of Truth), Valerie  Plame (Fair Game)

Directed By: Doug Liman (director of The Bourne Identity, Jumper, Mr. and Mrs. Smith)

 

Plot:

Set in the early 2000s, first term of President George W. Bush. C.I.A. Agent Valerie Plame (Naomi Watts) is happily married to ex-Ambassador Joe Wilson (Sean Penn), with two young kids. While their friends know about Joe’s career and political views, they think Valerie is working for a finance company. And while Joe is not always happy about his wife being an agent, he is supportive and understanding.

Joe gets a chance to be involved in her work, when he is sent to Nijer to see whether they are working on weapons of mass destruction. Joe’s findings indicate that they are not working on such weapons, but the Bush administration is pretty much dying to invade Iraq, so they make sure the “findings” justify the invasion. Joe is more than frustrated to see that the government is using bogus intel, so he writes an article for The New York Times, explaining what he actually found. Angry White House officials strike back by exposing Valerie’s identity, and calling Joe a liar.

Now that her identity is exposed, Valerie’s operations come to halt- risking the lives of scientists she was meant to save. Moreover, everybody finds about her and a majority is willing to label to label them both as traitors. Valerie wants to avoid exposure, while Joe is willing to seek more publicity to clear their names.

Joe’s standing up for truth risks not only their reputation, lives and finances, but their marriage as well. Can Joe succeed? Or will they lose everything, while the White House gets away with everything?

Verdict:

I was a little afraid that this movie could be disappointing when the guy at the video store frowned at my choice and asked whether I picked the movie for its actors. Well, while I really seeing  enjoy Watts and Penn on the screen, I also enjoy watching politics related conspiracy theories, and real-life examples of manipulation of the public view. So, no I wasn’t bored.  I don’t know if Joe and Valerie are as right as they were depicted. But I wouldn’t be surprised if everything depicted in the movie really happened.

Fair Game is engaging. It frustrates you and it challenges you. No, it is not fast. But it is solid, and worth-watching. And I really like the overall message and Joe’s actions. It is not all that hard to identify either with him and Valerie- regardless of your country.

Give it a shot. Currently 7.0 on IMDB, which I find a little underrated.

Favorite Lines/Scenes:

–          When a full class doesn’t know the 16 words George W. Bush used that led them to war, but they all knew that his wife’s name was Valeri Plame

Joe Wilson (Sean Penn): when did the question move from why are we going to war to who is this man’s wife? I asked the first question.

 

–          Valerie’s friend (Brooke Smith): So do you have lovers all over the world? Do you have a gun? Have you killed people?
Valerie (Naomi Watts): I can’t tell you anything.
Friend: You can’t tell me anything. OK. So you wanna go shopping?

 

Fun notes:

–          Modern Family’s Phil Ty Burrell has a short role as a friend of the couple.

–          Grey’s Anatomy’s Brooke Smith has a short role as a friend. She played the cardiologist Erica Kahn for 23 episodes in Grey’s Anatomy.

–          Rebecca Rigg, who also plays a friend, is the real life wife of The Mentalist star Simon Baker.

 

Also on Naomi Watts:

Naomi Watts Trivia

The Painted Veil with Naomi Watts and Edward Norton

The International starring Clive Owen & Naomi Watts

Dangerous Beauty starring Rufus Sewell & Catherine McCormack feat. Naomi Watts

Also on Sean Penn

Taps starring Timothy Hutton, Tom Cruise and Sean Penn

Also on Noah Emmerich

Beyond Borders starring Clive Owen, Angelina Jolie & Noah Emmerich

Beautiful Girls starring Timothy Hutton, Matt Dillon, Uma Thurman, Natalie Portman and Mira Sorvino

Pride and Glory with Edward Norton and Colin Farrell

 

 

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Filed Under: Movies and Actors Tagged With: brooke smith, doug liman, fair game, fair game 2010, fair game cast, fair game movie, joe wilson, Naomi Watts, naomi watts movies, Noah Emmerich, rebecca rig, sam shepard, Sean Penn, Ty Burrell, valerie plame

Morning Glory starring Rachel McAdams, Harrison Ford, Diane Keaton & Patrick Wilson

Posted on March 29, 2011 Written by ripitup

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Morning Glory starring Harrison Ford, Rachel McAdams, Diane Keaton & Patrick Wilson
Morning Glory starring Rachel McAdams, Harrison Ford, Diane Keaton & Patrick Wilson. Featuring John Pankow, Jeff Goldblum & Ty Burrell. Image via shockya.com

Becky Fuller (Rachel McAdams) is a young and accomplished TV show producer. She is all about her work, so she doesn’t really care that much when her obsessive work habits scare off her dates. She is crushed, however, when she gets replaced by another producer. So she frantically sends out resumes and desperately hangs on to the one interview she manages to score:  producing the morning show at IBS. Her enthusiasm persuades her desperate boss Jerry Barnes (Jerry Goldblum) is hired.

But soon she realizes that she has more problems than a low paycheck and current low ratings of the show: The female host Colleen Peck (Diane Keaton) is pretty sure Becky will soon be replaced, and the male host (Ty Burrell – Phil of Modern Family) is a complete jackass. She fires him, but now she has to find a new male host. Unfortunately, the network has no budget for a good, new host. Desperate, Becky decides to go after her idol, legendary news personality Mike Pomeroy (Harrison Ford), who has a contract at the network but not much reporting to do.

It will be excruciating to try to persuade him to co-host. And it will be even more frustrating to be able to handle Colleen when he is being all conceited and difficult.  After all, according to his former colleague Adam (Patrick Wilson), Mike is the third worst person in the world!

It takes all of Becky’s energy to try save the show without losing her mind. And she also has to deal with the fact that Adam is interested in her, and her relationship with him might be worth the hassle. Can Becky handle it all?

**

Morning Glory is a lovely comedy with some emotional moments. The plot is pretty good, and the cast is even better. I love a movie where I can gather a lot of my favorite actors in one place. It was also really fun to see John Pankow, Episodes’ jackass network producer Merc, play a really nice guy in this movie. He is friendly, helpful and loyal. And he is a family man. Quite a nice contrast.

And as opposed to most Harrison Ford fans, I enjoy him more in comedies, and this is no exception. He is as the perfect grumpy old bastard.

Morning Glory is a must see, especially for people who really love their careers.  It is a lovely tale on saving your job, making friends with the most unlikely people and having a good relationship on the side. Strongly recommended.

Written by Aline Brosh McKenna (Three to Tango, Laws of Attraction). Directed by Roger Michell (Changing Lanes, Persuasion).

Also on Rachel McAdams

Sherlock Holmes starring Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law & Rachel McAdams

The Time Traveler’s Wife starring Eric Bana & Rachel McAdams

Nicolas Sparks vs. Happy Endings: The Notebook starring Rachel McAdams & Ryan Gosling

Wedding Crashers starring Vince Vaughn, Owen Wilson & Rachel McAdams

Also on Harrison Ford

The Fugitive starring Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones

Firewall starring Harrison Ford, Paul Bettany and Virginia Madsen

Six Days Seven Nights starring Harrison Ford and Anne Heche

Extraordinary Measures starring Brendan Fraser and Keri Russell

Air Force One starring Harrison Ford, Glenn Close and Gary Oldman

Regarding Henry starring Harrison Ford and Annette Bening

3 Best Movie Presidents featuring Bill Pullman, Harrison Ford and Michael Douglas

Also on Patrick Wilson

The A-Team starring Liam Neeson, Bradley Cooper, Jessica Biel, Patrick Wilson, Sharlto Copley & Quinton Rampage Jackson

Watchmen starring Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Wilson, Matthew Goode

No Strings Attached, The Switch and Morning Glory: 3 Romantic Comedies to Anticipate

 

Also on Jeff Goldblum

The Big Chill starring Kevin Kline, Glen Close, Jeff Goldblum and William Hurt

Top 10 Entertaining Sci-Fi Movie– feat. Independence Day starring Bill Pullman, Will Smith & Jeff Goldblum

Also on Diane Keaton

Something’s Gotta Give starring Jack Nicholson, Diane Keaton & Keanu Reeves

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Filed Under: Movies and Actors Tagged With: Aline Brosh McKenna, comedy, Diane Keaton, drama, Harrison Ford, Jeff Goldblum, john pankow, morning glory, morning glory cast, morning glory movie, movies, Patrick Wilson, Rachel McAdams, roger michell, Ty Burrell

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