WIFE. MOTHER. SPY.
The story of how the former ambassador Joseph Wilson and his wife, covert CIA agent Valerie Plame, fell victim to the machinations of the Bush administration on the eve of the Iraq War in 2003 gets its Hollywood moment. Who else but Sean Penn should play a liberal hero like Wilson; together with Naomi Watts he creates a likable portrait of two intelligent, adventurous individuals. Director Doug Liman goes through the events of the scandal and paints an effective portrait of a government that deals with its enemies in Nixonian ways… but doesn’t really add anything original to the story.
2010-U.S.-United Arab Emirates. 107 min. Color. Widescreen. Directed byĀ Doug Liman. Books: Joseph Wilson (“The Politics of Truth”), Valerie Plame (“Fair Game”). Cast: Naomi Watts (Valerie Plame), Sean Penn (Joseph Wilson), Sam Shepard (Sam Plame), Noah Emmerich, Bruce McGill, David Andrews.
Trivia: Nicole Kidman and Russell Crowe were allegedly considered for the leads.