No. 97. (2019) Official Secrets. October 28th.

Film No 97 (2019) October. 28th.  6:30 PM  LUNA PALACE Windsor, Nedlands . 

"We will be conceding that no one can tell the people when their government is lying" (Gun makes an emotional plea to her lawyers,stating that taking a plea bargain would be a lame concession).

Most of us suspected there was no truth to the propaganda being spread, mainly by the U.S. and the Brits in the early 2000's, that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction at his disposal. Bush and Blair continually whipped up hysteria. 

Katharine Gun, solidly played by Keira Knightley, is the subject of Official Secrets and it was Gun who risked everything dear to her by leaking an email to the media (U.K. Observer) in her position as a translator for a U.K. intelligence hub. The leaked email revealed the extent the U.S. was prepared to stoop to, to convince the U.N. that their vote to endorse the US/UK commitment for conflict with Iraq was the only course of action.

Gavin Hood (Eye In The Sky, Tsotsi) has directed a tense and important film. Gun is a gutsy patriot who has never gained the recognition she deserved. Her government treated her deplorably and because the Iraq conflict is such old news this film won't whip up the public outrage it likely should. To Hood's credit at least Gun is immortalized in a well made film.

If you enjoyed Red Joan and Eye In The Sky in recent years, well in my humble view Official Secrets is better than both. Oh, and watching Ralph Fiennes (Gun's defence lawyer) play a good guy for once was a pleasure. His line to close the film is priceless. 10GUMS.