Truth Everywhere ....

Worth a Watch..

Nothing but the Truth directed by Thomas A. Reillry and played as protagonist, Rachel Armstrong by Kate Beckinsale is a wonderful politico cum court-room drams that depicts how things are on the two sides of law.

Rachel is a Journalist in a political news based paper. America's president is shot dead and it is revealed that some group of Venezuela had role in this. Therefore, U.S government sends a military troop to Venezuela for investigation. Prior to that, a CIA operative Erica Van Doreen goes to Venezuela and brings out the report that Venezuela has nothing to do in President's assassination. But her report is completely ignored by the government and the troops are still sent to Venezuela (Probably for other purpose). Rachel finds this information somewhere and publishes the whole story in the national daily without revealing her sources claiming that she has right to confidentially secure her sources. Meanwhile, it’s a crime for any government official to leak any national-security interest information to general public or any other authority. So, Rachel faces a law suit for keeping the criminals record (the CIA operatives) who leaked the story secret. Not just a law-suit but
she has to face a lot of mental stress in this course. Her family gets wrecked with time, trauma of prison, not getting to read or write anything in the prison and she has to face constant failure during court proceeding. Nevertheless, she never gives up on her sources. She sticks to her principles till the end.

In the beginning of the movie itself it is informed through a disclaimer that though the movie is inspired by some real events, it does not portray any real events or characters exactly. So, undoubtedly we can conclude that what is pictured in the movie is highly probable to happen in U.S courts in issues like that.

It mentally tires us to reveal that a country which claims itself as a defender of principles throughout the world is how reluctant to stand on a citizen's side to protect his/her belief on fighting for principles. Anyway, this can also be left as a matter to simply judge whose sides to take on because the movie successfully presents the conflict of principles (among both of a state and an individual) with as much as less prejudice on one side. I felt this was that wonderful part of the movie where the movie-makers have tried to preserve the neutrality so that choosing the protagonist can be left on the viewers to judge.

What should a movie review incorporate as a standard format? I have no idea! I believe there are few things that strike every viewer while watching movies. Obviously, what strikes the viewers are different as per the viewers. Not everything that is noticed by one is necessarily observed by others. So, I guess there can never be one standard format of review where we can fit a movie.

Well, coming back to Nothing but the Truth, it’s a movie about first amendment right of U.S (freedom of expression), CIA's role and review, news market and a typical American family where the spouses don't hold too much. These are the surfacial issues that this movie covers up. However, conceptually I think the actual issue of the movie is the conflict between rights of an individual (or a unit) and a State. Rachel as a journalist has right to secure her sources of information. But, the special prosecutor of the State argues that a State cannot uphold a citizen's right on the cost of its own right to secure the information of national interests. Both of their arguments sounds genuine and, in the movie itself, even when taken to Supreme Court the Case is decided on behalf of the State. But, don't we think it is the role of Media, whom we consider also the fourth organ of the State to bring forward what our State has been doing with our tax? If we let State keep on sanctioning the voice of media, will not we lead our State to be the dictator? Well, these might be the questions that one can be caught with after watching the movie.

Finally, it amazes us to reveal at the end what the source of Rachel Armstrong was!

Thus, what Nothing but the Truth does is, simply confuses us to choose our protagonist character in the movie! & that can be one hell of a job to do….