Fair Game

[aruif]

it was OK. i actually prefered hall pass yesterday :/

i usually like these kind of films, but all the "joggy" camera stuff made me feel sea sick and for a true story i didn't get the full extent of the horror that it must have been for her, i'm not saying it was badly acted, just that it didn't feel that strong a film over all. it was no erin brockovich for example.

[tilly]

Just seen this tonight and met a couple of fmukers. Hello valda again!

The film was interesting though a tad boring. It was nice that it was based on a true story and saw the real valerie so made it seem more real.

It was well acted by both Sean Penn and Naomi watts.

6/10 from me

[Preston1990]

I caught the tail end of an interview with the real Valerie Plame on radio 4 today and had not realised before this that Fair Game is actually based on a true story. This made me even more determined to see it over tonight's other free screen offering of Hall Pass.

I really enjoyed the film. Sean Penn gave a great performance as Joe Wilson and Naomi Watts was excellent as Valerie the outed covert CIA agent. An interesting film in the wake of the war in Iraq and WMD revelations of a few years ago. Doesn't show Team America or the Bush administration in a particularly good light. Just shows how ruthless, manipulative, unprincipled and unforgiving politics and politicians can be.

8.5 out of 10.

[alythonian]

I saw this in Edinburgh - very very nearly full house.

I thought it was a bit slow to be truthful. It was very well cated by the two leads but it just didn't have that spark to really engage me I'm afraid. I was looking forward to it more I think.

6/10

[The Sparrow]

Why would anyone in authority go by the name of Scooter! It's the name of a muppet fgs. Gives muppets a bad rep.

[Kaybeelon]

A story that had to be told and that has to be heard (or seen) because it is a true story and a story that probably happens – with variations - all the time all over the world. Sean Penn and Naomi Watts were very good and convincing and the plot interesting.

Having said that, inspite of being constantly reminded how little these politicians care about people to my surprise I didn’t feel emotionally very involved. I was with the story all the time, but more in an intellectual or abstract way.

One reason may have been the cinematography that in places was rather strange, perhaps the result of the (failed, I think) attempt to give the true story some added creditability - which it didn’t need - by using a hand-held camera which in some crucial scenes wanders arbitrarily around the room in and out of focus instead of staying with the characters you are supposed to follow. The result is that you lose the connection to them. But also the script could probably have been more daring in creating drama and taken us closer to the characters, especially when something is at stake.

The story had all the ingredients to become a film like Conviction or Erin Brokovich, also true stories where one or more individuals fight against injustice on big scale and win against all odds, but something was lacking.

It was still a good film which I would recommend even though it is a shame that it wasn’t even better.

It was nice to see Valda again and meet Tildy. Were there any more of you?
And thanks to Andy for the tickets!

[superhero]

Hope there's more screenings for this

[Ms Thrifty]

Ditto, but time is rapidly running out as it opens this Friday.

[briar29]

Decent film which stayed reasonably close to the truth, well acted by Naomi Watts and Sean Penn. But I hated the "documentary" style camerawork. If I want out of focus, shaky shots, I'd watch my own home videos!
7/10

[biggins]

Odeon Westerhailes, Edinburgh almost full. Sat beside Aylthonian and Marjoreemarjora - always nice to chat to them.

Was expecting more from this as it was a true story but I felt it slow in the beginning and never "bonded" with the characters. The camera shots whizzing round the boardroom made me feel dizzy. 6 out 10.