You know it is the fall movie season when adult dramas populate theaters. If you’re a fan of procedural thrillers, look no further than ‘Official Secrets.’ It’s based on a true story and stars Keira Knightley. Under the direction of Gavin Hood who has delved into similar territory with ‘Rendition’ (2007) and ‘Eye in the Sky’ (2015), you’re in good hands. The “just the facts, ma’am” tone is well suited for this tout British espionage thriller. The strong ensemble cast gives the story depth and creditably. It’s Knightley’s solid performance that carries the weight of the suspense on her shoulders. ‘Official Secrets’ is a political thriller worth seeking at your local art-house cinema.
The story is set in early 2003 on the eve of the Iraq invasion. Knightley plays Katherine Gun, an intelligence analyst for GCHQ (U.K.’s Government Communications Headquarters). One morning, everyone in Katherine’s office receives a memo from the American agency, (NSA) National Security Administration. It is asking GCHQ to dig up dirt on members of the U.N. Security Council. The intelligence gathered will be used to sway votes in favor of an invasion led by the United States of Iraq. Everybody remembers the news reports that talked about the supposed weapons of mass destruction. Former Prime Minister Tony Blair sanctioned an invasion of Iraq. When seeing the memo, Knightley’s expressions are priceless. She is in a state of shock that this one memo can impact millions of British, American and Iraq lives.
So now the suspense begins. What shall Gun morally do? Most people would have just kept their head down and continued to do their job. She knows that if she is discovered, she will be prosecuted under the U.K.’s Official Secrets Act of 1989. She can be locked away for treason as a British spy. She also realizes disclosing the sensitive information will put her Muslim husband Yasar’s immigration at risk. We know from the headlines that she becomes a whistleblower. There is an opening scene where she stands at the center of a courtroom full of white middle-aged men wanting to prosecute her for spying. Luckily for Gun, a civil liberties team headed by Ralph Fiennes, comes to her legal aid. It is nice to see Fiennes as a good guy defending this woman that morally did the right thing.
Besides examining the story from Gun’s perspective, the movie also deals with the newspaper reporters who printed the story at the Observer. The memo gets into the hands of the reporter that verifies its authenticity before publishing it. The U.S. government tries to discredit the memo that came from a shady NSA figure with the name Frank Koza. When Gun confesses, you get the impression that she did it for altruistic reasons. Compared to other whistleblower cases involving Edward Snowden and Julian Assange, Gun is extremely likable and selfless through her brutal interrogations. It also should be noted that she went through months of not knowing whether she was going to be charged or not. Essentially this is a story of an individual who finds the strength to do the right thing and tell the truth.
‘Official Secrets’ gets high marks for having an outstanding cast. Knightley and Fiennes have excellent chemistry on screen and deliver convincing performances. This ant-war spy thriller is now playing the art-house theater circuit.
