After a Memo is Released, a Government’s Secrets are Exposed

Keira Knightley in "Official Secrets"
Photo Credit: Imdb.com

In 2016, director Gavin Hood brought audiences a suspenseful, thought-provoking thriller with “Eye in the Sky,” a film that encouraged viewers to ponder the ethical issues surrounding drone warfare.  He brought us to the forefront of modern political affairs in a story that was given its power through a talented cast, an intriguing story, and tense direction.

It seems as though Hood can be a terrific voice in political thrillers with that film and his latest movie, “Official Secrets.”  This time, he focuses on the true story about making the important decision between doing what your government thinks is best, and doing what’s best for your fellow citizens.

The story follows Government Communications Headquarters employee Katharine Gun (Keira Knightley) who decides to leak a memo detailing the United States’ intention to blackmail United Nations diplomats to vote in favor of the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

Knightley delivers an inspiring performance of someone who must choose whether or not to put everything on the line in order to prevent a war.  She has you experience the weight that such a decision has on her as she sets out to do the right thing.  In the beginning, Knightley shows her character’s internal struggle of whether or not to send the memo to the press and have her wondering if she crossed a line in doing so, and then the rest of the movie has Knightley display Katharine’s unfaltering conviction that what she did was the best course of action.  What’s most effective about Knightley’s performance is how understated it is, in that her character is someone who’s just doing the right thing, not for the purpose of inciting a cause célèbre, but simply because she values her fellow British citizens and doesn’t want them to endure the pains of war.  With Knightley showing her character’s strength in standing up for her decisions, despite others being against her, this is a performance that is sure to captivate you.

The cast is loaded with accomplished supporting performances, all of which carry the air of political intrigue that engrosses you in the story as it unravels, no matter if a character has one scene or several.  Out of all of them, the standouts are Matt Smith and Rhys Ifans as intrepid reporters Martin Bright and Ed Vulliamy, respectively, and Ralph Fiennes as Ben Emmerson, the lawyer who takes on Katherine’s case.

The screenplay by Hood, Gregory Bernstein, and Sara Bernstein, which is based on Marcia Mitchell and Thomas Mitchell’s book, “The Spy Who Tried to Stop a War,” provides strong details that immerse you in the story.  Between the numerous characters and intricacies involving the newspaper side and governmental side of the film, we’re given a narrative that’s fleshed out and shows us what happened behind what we heard in the news.  The screenwriters take us around many corners of this event, and you’re drawn into the story as each scene brings you deeper and deeper into this account of what it means to put your morals up against your government.  Given how many pieces there are to this story, everything you see is important and has a purpose because this movie makes sure that you grasp the full importance of this occurrence.

Hood can wrangle tension out of any scene that he films, whether it be Katharine sitting at a computer to print out the memo, being watched while taking a train, or racing to the airport to get a loved one back from the authorities.  Because of this, you feel the pressure of everything that Katharine has at stake.  Despite us already knowing the outcome of the story, that doesn’t make it any less anxiety-inducing.  All of these scenes are much more potent because of the true nature of the story and how much was on the line for the world.

Besides those scenes, the many conversations between characters will render you just as apprehensive because of the seriousness behind them, such as when Katharine is interrogated at her office during the search for who disclosed the memo.  Hood gets you invested in all of this as Katherine and others try to figure out the best course of action to take.  He accomplished this in “Eye in the Sky,” and it’s wonderful to see him do it again.

“Official Secrets” is another example of Hood being able to bring audiences a story that deals with how our ethics play into heated political situations.  For this film, Hood assures that, no matter what, there is always someone who will bring us the truth.

Grade: A