Official Secrets

STORY: Based on actual events, Official Secrets is a biographical take on the story of Katharine Gun, who blew the whistle on a top secret memo involving the US-Iraq war of 2003. Her courageous act of leaking the memo to the press not only put her in breach of the Official Secrets Act but also her personal life in jeopardy.

REVIEW: In one of the most impactful scenes, Katharine Gun (Keira Knightley) sternly tells a British police officer accusing her of being a spy, “I do not collect information so that the government can lie to the British people.” This and many such scenes are the hallmarks of this film that is so relevant to the times that we live in. Director Gavin Hood and his two co-writers (Gregory and Sara Bernstein) successfully recreate our world where governments often hide important facts from its people to push the agendas they believe in. In this case, covertly justifying the war on Iraq in 2003 by two of the world’s biggest super powers (the US and the UK) on suspicion that the country is holding weapons of mass destruction. Despite being subtle and understated, the narrative is packed with enough thrill for those looking for an engaging political drama. The film’s screenplay clearly explains the facts around the invasion of Iraq and the voices in favour and those in dissent, quite effectively. It does so without sounding preachy or prejudiced.

Keira Knightley delivers a restrained and believable act as Katharine Gun. She efficiently portrays Gun’s vulnerability and fear as she makes gut wrenching decisions of going against her own government. Even with widespread uncertainty and stress in her personal life, she never comes across as weak. Palestinian actor Adam Bakri who plays Gun’s Muslim husband Yasar is equally terrific. Ralph Fiennes as Gun’s defence lawyer Ben Emmerson and Matt Smith as journalist Martin Bright provide good support.

For a film that focuses on a relatively lesser known episode of a massive political development in our recent history, Official Secrets manages to squeeze in all the crucial aspects around it. It stays honest and true to the reality with some clichés but also an important story that needs to be told, at all costs.