Fair Game

A caution: don’t come to the cinema slack-jawed or dragging your feet for this one—director Paul Greengrass (The Bourne Trilogy, Green Zone) has his running shoes on. Which is just as well, because fitting the US invasion of Iraq and a political/spy drama into 108 minutes requires nothing less than a cinematic Usain Bolt.

Loosely based on a true story, Fair Game chronicles the life of undercover CIA operative Valerie Plame (Naomi Watts) in the lead-up to (and the aftermath of) the US invasion of Iraq in 2003.

However, it’s her husband Joseph Wallace (Sean Penn), a former ambassador to Africa, who drives the plot—at the request of the CIA, Joseph visits Niger to assess the validity of a rumour: did Iraq recently purchase a scary quantity of ‘yellowcake’ uranium from the impoverished nation’s mines? It’s a decided ‘no’ from Joe.

Imagine his surprise when news anchors report the US will be invading Iraq based on the substantial threat indicated by a professional consultant (i.e. himself).

Taking his professional and moral outrage to the New York Times, Joe cries foul—and the CIA cries ‘fired’ at Valerie in an unprecedented ‘outing’ of a secret agent.

Joe shoots back in the editorial pages and a media war escalates. Can Joe and Val shout loudly enough to drown out the propaganda discrediting them and shock the world into taking notice of injustices at home and abroad? Or will the strain claim whatever family life the whole fiasco has left them with?

Among the film’s most intriguing scenes are meetings at the bureau (where agent-speak is spouted at a furious clip). It’s fascinating to grasp the possibility of a major military operation boiling down to a series of boardroom discussions by flawed, well-meaning people working with questionable information.

While the political plotline is thoroughly engaging—particularly the rare perspective from the ‘other side’, as bewildered Iraqi politicians, scientists and regular families struggle under fire—Joe and Val’s domestic drama steals the second act.

Sean Penn is superb in his portrayal of a patient but frustrated man: initially gracious in his cuckolding by the CIA, his reserve breaks like a levee after Valerie’s dismissal, spilling over into a blind, dogged pursuit of justice.

Watts’ performance does well to juxtapose the steely, indomitable agent Plame with the warm, maternal Valerie at home.

As always, Greengrass employs his trademark unsteady, you-are-there cam for most scenes. The effect is perfect in accentuating the tension of power-broking office discussions, or the frantic fear of an impending air-strike, but feels grossly unnecessary during breakfast at the Plame household.

Because most of the action comes in words, ideas, information exchange and decisions, the plot pivots on a dime and viewers will need to stay alert to keep up—but you’ll be rewarded for your efforts with a superb (if profoundly biased) account of the beginnings of a (probably) misdirected war.

It’s tough to fault Fair Game: great players, slick direction and, as they say, ‘truth’ is stranger than fiction—and often more entertaining.