The true story of a British whistleblower who leaked information to the press about an illegal NSA spy operation designed to push the UN Security Council into sanctioning the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
Kiera Knightly is perfect in her role as Katherine Gun, the London-based journalist turned whistleblower who risked everything she has achieved in order to silence her own fears about living in a country that is participating in blackmail on a monumental level. Her modest existence consists of having a man who believes in her and in her choice to have a career where she and her peers compete with one another for relevant news items. In 2003, while toddling between the need to feel relevant and the desire to be recognized in the workplace, Katherine, a British Intelligence Specialist, gains access to a memo wherein the United States is requesting assistance from Britain in collecting compromising info on UN Security Council members in order to blackmail them in favor of an invasion of Iraq. Katherine, who is vehemently against this imposition, mulls over the information for an endless amount of time and then solicits an old friend’s help in coming up with a guilt-free process of leaking the memo.
The bulk of the film focuses on Katherine’s internal compass and the rage of emotions she experiences while justifying her own actions, as well as the strategic line of questioning throughout the workplace once they realize there is a traitor in their midst. Finally, the frightful tactics that are used to blacklist her and everything attached to her in order the validate the public intrusion on their private practices, says far too much about a corporation’s ability to overpower and objectify its enemies.
It was only proper that this film’s screening would debut on National Whistleblower’s Day in order to gain the most in recognition of those who risk everything to ensure that the public is painfully aware of corporate collusion. That there is a National Whistleblower’s Day serves to remind us of the rising number of people who have been categorized as having a moral obligation to expose corrupt people or practices that deviate from corporate responsibility. Director Gavin Hood gives us a compelling story that is both relevant and cautionary with regard to the ramifications of going against an institution whereas corruption is a way of doing business. “Official Secrets” is painfully honest about the impact of challenging something greater than yourself and the likelihood of losing everything you have in order to strive for inner peace you may never get to experience.
In Theaters Friday, September 13th
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