Film File - Fair Game

For those wondering just what is entailed in the job of a modern spy, 'Fair Game' provides a reasonable signpost to this clandestine art. In 2001, Valerie Plame (Naomi Watts), a covert officer in the CIA, discovers that Iraq has no active nuclear weapons programme, contrary to the belief of the Bush government. Around the same time, her husband, Joe Wilson (Sean Penn), a former ambassador to Niger, is sent by the White House to Africa to investigate the possible sale of enriched uranium to Iraq - a suspicion that would form part of the reasoning behind the invasion of the country by Allied forces in the so-called Weapons of Mass Destruction argument. After the White House ignores Wilson's findings that no such activity took place and eventually declares war on Iraq, Wilson - an admitted 'truth-teller' by nature - retaliates by writing a piece in The New York Times outlining his ignored facts. What followed was a firestorm of controversy that changed careers. Shortly after the newspaper exposé which created a major embarrassment for the government, Palme's covert status gets leaked by unknown sources to high-profile Washington journalists. Was it an unfortunate coincidence or a co-ordinated campaign to retaliate against her husband for his very public disagreement with the government? The unidentified source appeared to be a high-ranking Bush administration official. As the controversy ignited, Karl Rove, the White House spin doctor, allegedly declared that "Valerie Plame is fair game". As the couple's lives begin to unravel in an intense media spotlight, each reacted very differently to the campaign against them. Joe fired back with both barrels, alleging that exposing Valerie's covert identify was a criminal act. However, after a lifetime working in the shadows, Valerie was reluctant to go public. A woman who led a secret life for a long time and whose closest friends believed she worked as a venture capitalist is suddenly thrust into the spotlight and revealed as a spy, forced to speak out publicly and defend her life. It was the ultimate reversal of fortune. With the bad days of the Bush presidency fast becoming a blur in the more enlightened age of Obama, the Valerie Palme affair still resonates one of that government's most appalling misadventures. With director Doug Liman of 'The Bourne Identity' at the helm and a cracking script from brothers Jez and John-Henry Butterworth, 'Fair Game' is one of the most intelligent dramas so far this year. Though the story and its eventual outcome are well-known, it is nevertheless presented in a well-constructed, sharp and tension-filled manner that will engage even with those who have no knowledge of recent American history. With the leaking of Palme's identity eventually traced back to Vice-President Dick Cheney's aide Lewis 'Scooter' Libby (David Andrews) - a perfect example of the repulsive career bureaucrat - the film paints a vivid picture of political expediency on a collision course with democracy. 'Fair Game' is a story about the truth and lies, real patriots and glory wannabes, as well as heroes and villains. Penn and Watts are excellent, especially at their frequent dinner parties where even the most heated political discussion allows them no space to divulge their insider status. 'Fair Game' is about politics and what happens when we take liberty for granted. "Democracy is not a free ride," says Joe Wilson, while Valerie Palme takes a more emotional view: "You have to know why you're lying to never forget the truth." They are both lessons that apply to politicians everywhere.