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A large part of any war plays out not on the battlefield but behind closed doors, where politicians form alliances and make deals. And Official Secrets tells the story of one woman who decided to take one of those closed-door deals and make it public.
Official Secrets is based on the true story of Katharine Gun (Keira Knightley), a British translator working for the Government Communications Headquarters in 2003. When the staff receives an email from the NSA, asking for information to help Great Britain and the US push the UN Security Council to agree to war in Iraq, she decides that she can’t keep it quiet—despite being held to the Official Secrets Act. Her leaked email eventually gets into the hands of Observer reporter Martin Bright (Matt Smith), triggering a frenzy in the media and at the GCHQ.
As the film follows Katharine’s story—the feelings and discussions that led her to leak the information, the fear she felt after she went through with it, the outcome of the leak, and the legal battle that followed—it explores so much more than just the facts of the case. It goes behind the scenes to show the secrets, the cover-ups, and the red tape that shaped the situation. While Katharine expected the news to break right away, it required putting pressure on a pro-war newspaper and researching the document to authenticate it—because if the paper printed a fake, their credibility would be at stake, but if it happened to be real, they could get in serious legal trouble for having a copy. But that’s just the beginning—and she faces even more red tape when she attempts to get legal help.
Admittedly, all of these facts and revelations and legal ramifications and political agendas don’t always make for a gripping film. At times, in fact, it feels more like a TV drama than a big-screen production. The process does make for a tense story, but it often feels deep and heavy and involved—and it can sometimes be a challenge to keep track of all of the details. But it certainly makes for a thought-provoking experience.
Official Secrets isn’t exactly a breakneck thriller. Katharine isn’t chased through the streets by anonymous black SUVs, and her life isn’t threatened. But while it’s more talk than action, the tense political tale will definitely open your eyes to the messy reality of international politics.
Listen to the review on Reel Discovery:
Kristin Dreyer Kramer has been writing in some form or another (usually when she was supposed to be doing something else) since the ripe old age of ten—when she, her cousin, and their two Cabbage Patch Dolls formed the Poo Authors’ Club. After a short career in advertising, Kristin got sick of always saying nice things about stuff that didn’t deserve it—so now she spends her days criticizing things, and she’s much happier for it.
Since creating NightsAndWeekends.com in February of 2002, Kristin has spent her life surrounded by piles and piles of books and movies—so many that her office has become a kind of entertainment obstacle course.
As if her writing and editing responsibilities for N&W.com weren’t enough to keep her out of trouble, Kristin also hosts a number of weekly radio shows: Reel Discovery, Shelf Discovery, and On the Marquee. She’s also a proud member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association (CriticsChoice.com), the Central Ohio Film Critics Association (COFCA.org), the Online Film Critics Society (OFCS.org), and the Women Film Critics Circle (WFCC.Wordpress.com).
Kristin lives in Columbus, Ohio, with her husband, Paul, and their daughter, Anna. She welcomes questions, comments, and fan mail at kdk@nightsandweekends.com.
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Kristin Dreyer Kramer has been writing in some form or another (usually when she was supposed to be doing something else) since the ripe old age of ten—when she, her cousin, and their two Cabbage Patch Dolls formed the Poo Authors’ Club. After a short career in advertising, Kristin got sick of always saying nice things about stuff that didn’t deserve it—so now she spends her days criticizing things, and she’s much happier for it.
Since creating NightsAndWeekends.com in February of 2002, Kristin has spent her life surrounded by piles and piles of books and movies—so many that her office has become a kind of entertainment obstacle course.
As if her writing and editing responsibilities for N&W.com weren’t enough to keep her out of trouble, Kristin also hosts a number of weekly radio shows: Reel Discovery, Shelf Discovery, and On the Marquee. She’s also a proud member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association (CriticsChoice.com), the Central Ohio Film Critics Association (COFCA.org), the Online Film Critics Society (OFCS.org), and the Women Film Critics Circle (WFCC.Wordpress.com).
Kristin lives in Columbus, Ohio, with her husband, Paul, and their daughter, Anna. She welcomes questions, comments, and fan mail at kdk@nightsandweekends.com.
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