Keira Knightley is great as whistle blower Katharine Gun in ...

Keira Knightley is great as whistle blower Katharine Gun in this ... grew up speaking Japanese and Chinese which she studied in University. Home/LIFESTYLE/REVIEWS>/FILMREVIEWS/KeiraKnightleyisgreataswhistleblowerKatharineGuninthiscatharticpoliticalthriller Postsnavigation KeiraKnightleyisgreataswhistleblowerKatharineGuninthiscatharticpoliticalthriller JoyceGlasserreviewsOfficialSecrets(October18,2019),Cert.15,111min. Anypoliticaland/orcourtroomthrillerismoreinterestingwhencenteredaroundamoralconundrumthatpromptsustoaskourselves,‘whatwouldIdo?’WefindthisintwoofdirectorGavinHood’sfilmsaboutthe‘WaronTerror’,RenditionandEyeintheSky.WithOfficialSecrets,Hoodgivesusallthisandmore,becausenotonlyisthefilmatruestory,buttheprotagonist(playedbyKeiraKnightleyinherbestrolesinceBenditLikeBeckham)issomeonemostofuscanidentifywith. KatherineGun(Knightley)is,inmanyrespects,anordinary28-year-oldUKcitizen,holdingdownaskilledjob,marriedtoalovinghusband,andlivingaquietlifeinCheltenham.Shesitsinfrontofthetelevisioninherpyjamasshouting,‘it’sallabunchoflies’attheBBCreportsshowingTonyBlairtalkingaboutweaponsofmassdestruction.Atleasthalfthepopulationwillrememberwatchingthosebroadcasts. That’snotthewholestory,though,asKatherine,aswelearnwhensheisquestionedbyhersuperiors,wasborninTaiwantoBritishparentsandgrewupspeakingJapaneseandChinesewhichshestudiedinUniversity.Andherjobandmarriagearenotallthatordinary.KatherineismarriedtoYasar(AdamBakri),aTurkishMuslimwhoserighttoremainisapparentlydependentonhismarriage,andtherefore,suspect.AndKatherineworksasaMandarintranslatoratGCHQ’ssurveillancecentreinCheltenhamwhereshesignedtheOfficialSecretsAct. Thenon31January2003,afatefuldaythatbeginslikeanyother,KatherineandhercolleaguesreceiveanunusualmemofromaFrankKoza,fromtheUnitedStatesNationalSecurityAgency,announcingthatthestaffaretolisteninonthesix‘swingcountries’ontheUNSecurityCouncilsothatAmericacan‘persuade’themtoapprovetheinvasionofIraq.ThememoseemstoviolatetheGenevaConvention. IfKatherine’scolleaguesarebemusedandshrugtheirshoulders,Katharineisoutraged.Sheknewlittleofherjobbeforeansweringanadvertisementthatwouldfinallyenablehertouseherlanguageskills.Buthermoralcompassisspinningand,hopingtowashherhandsoftheburdenofresponsibilityshefeels,sheleaksthememotoacontactofacontactatTheObservernewspaper. TheObserverscenesareasdramatic,entertainingandnearlyaslife-likeasthoseinSpotlight.AsceneinwhichtheidiosyncraticcorrespondentEdVulliamy(RhysIfans)triestotrackdownandinterviewthemysteriousFrankKozainWashingtonwouldnotbeoutofplaceinaJohnLeCarrénovel,wereitsohilarious.MartinBright(MattSmith)persuadeshisscepticaleditorRogerAlton(ConlethHill)topublishthememoinhisarticle,whichappearswiththeprovocativeheadline,‘USDirtyTrickstowinvotesforIraq.’ThearticleturnsBrightintoacelebrity,forjustalittlelongerthanAndyWarhol’s15minutes. MattSmithinOfficialSecrets Thebacklashbeginswhenasharp-eyedjournalistnoticestheBritishspellingof‘’favourite’and‘recognise’andpeoplebegintosuspectHumanRightscampaignerYvonneRidley(HattieMorahan)–withwhomKatherinedoesinfactmeet,inanundergroundgarage–asthepersonbehindthefakeletter.Theyoungstaffmemberwhoownsuptothe‘spellcheck’mistake,isapparentlysparedthesack. Unwillingtoputhercolleaguesthroughinterrogationandsurveillance,Katherineconfessesandisarrested,whileYasar,triesinvaintohelphiswife,whileangrythatshehasputhislifeatrisk.Katharineactsoutofprinciple,tellingthepolice,‘IworkfortheBritishpeople.IdonotgatherintelligencesothatthegovernmentcanlietotheBritishpeople.’SheisreleasedpendingbeingchargedforbreachingtheAct. ApproachingLibertyforlegalguidance,KatherinefindsherselfinaCatch-22situationwhenlawyerBenEmmerson(RalphFiennes)realisesthat,asasignatorytotheAct,shecannotrevealanyclassifieddocumentstoherdefenceteam.Meanwhile,Katharinecannotfindajob,herfriendsdistancethemselves,andshereturnshometofindYasarhasbeentransportedtoaremoteimmigrationdetentioncentre,abouttobeflownbacktoTurkey. Evenifyourememberthestory,trynottoreaduponitbeforeseeingthefilm.OfficialSecretsisnotonlymoreexcitingandcathartic,butthefactshavebeencarefullyresearchedandbackedbyGunwithwhomHoodconsulted. MatthewGoodeinOfficialSecrets Avoidingdryexposition,HoodunfurlsLiberty’sstrategysoclearlyanddramaticallythatyoufeellikeyouarehearingthestoryforthefirsttime.BasedonTheSpyWhoTriedtoStopaWarbyMarciaMitchellandThomasMitchell,thescript,byGregoryBernsteinandSaraBernsteinandHood,turnswhatbeginsasapoliticalandpressdramaintooneofthebestcourtroomdramassincetheHolocaustdrama,Denial. ThisisnotthefirsttimeHoodhasmadealegaldramabasedonatruestory.InhisSouthAfricanfilm,AReasonableMan,releasedjustbeforehisOscarwinningTsotsi,adefenceattorneyusesadefendant’scultureandcommunityvaluestodefendayoungherdsmanwhoisaccusedofbrutallykillingaone-year-oldchild,believingittobeanevilspirit. Emmerson’sdefenceofGun,whohas,afterall,confessed,isequallyrisky.ThereisonlyonedefencetobreachingtheOfficialSecretsAct,andthatis‘necessity.’Gunmustchoosebetweenalessersentenceinpleadingguiltyorpleadingnotguiltybyreasonofnecessity.ForGun,whohasnoregrets,it’sanobrainer.Ifanyoneisguilty,itisFrankKoza,TonyBlairandGeorgeBush.EmmersonsetsouttoprovethatGun’snecessitywasstoppinghercountryfromstartinganillegalwar. TheReport,thatwillbereleasedinNovember,isanotherfirst-ratepoliticalthriller,basedonthetruestoryofthecover-upoftheUSpost-9/11torturecentreswhereagovernmentresearcher’spersonallifeisturnedupsidedownbyaCIAconspiracytocover-upthetruth.Hechoosesnottoleakhisreportasawhistleblower,buttorelyonhisboss,SenatorDianeFeinstein,topublishitasanofficialchannel. AtaQ&A,TheReportdirectorScottZ.Burnscommentedthatthenumberofwhistleblowerscomingforwardisnotagoodthingbecauseitmeansthesystemisn’tworking.ThisissueisnotexploredasfullyasitmighthavebeeninOfficialSecrets.ButKnightley’sfineperformancehelpsusunderstandhowaprincipledyoungwomangetsinoverherhead.Sheintendedonlythatthepaperwouldinvestigate,notpublish,thememoandalertthecountrytothealarmingfakenews. Youcanwatchthefilmtrailerhere: Tags: AdamBakri,biography,ConlethHill,drama,filmtrailer,FrankKoza,GavinHood,GeorgeBush,GregoryBernstein,HattieMorahan,JoyceGlasser,KatherineGun,KeiraKnightley,MarciaMitchell,MattSmith,MatthewGoode,OfficialSecrets,OfficialSecretsAct,RalphFiennes,reviews,RhysIfans,romance,SaraBernstein,ThomasMitchell,thriller,TonyBlair,war,YasarGun Mark 1183views 0 likes Oct17,2019 FILMREVIEWS Share AboutMark ViewallpostsbyMark→ RelatedPostsThoughverylong,TerrenceMalick’semotionallychargedfilmpaysdividendsTwogreatperformancesandaninspirationalstorymakethisbiopicirresistibleAnillicitloveaffairinpost-warHamburgmakesforaclunky,old-fashionedweepy KEEPCONNECTED: SEARCHWEBSITE Search NEWSLETTER Signupforourmonthlynewsletterforallthelatestnews,views,competitionsandreaderoffers. 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