Official Secrets is not kinetic cinema. Instead, it dumps a ton of data on audiences in telling the true story of Katharine Gun (Keira Knightley), the British whistleblower who leaked classified documents meant to pressure the U.N. Security Council into supporting the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq. But even when director Gavin Hood’s political thriller fails to thrill, there’s no doubting the continuing relevance of the topic on the table. Gun, an intelligence operative at Gchq (Government Communications Headquarters), a British surveillance agency tasked with ferreting out terrorist activity,...
- 8/28/2019
- by Peter Travers
- Rollingstone.com
High-minded and sturdy, if never as galvanizing as it should be, Gavin Hood’s whistleblower drama “Official Secrets” follows a string of similarly themed, recent-history docudramas in trying to frame a noble fight as worth waging no matter the repercussions.
And in the real-life case of British intelligence analyst Katharine Gun, played with trademark poise and fierce smarts by Keira Knightley, a consequential impulse to go rogue and do right by millions of citizens in England and Iraq in the pre-invasion buildup put her squarely in the crosshairs of her country’s need to punish those willing to expose the darker workings in the drumbeat to war.
If you don’t know anything about Gun’s actions and subsequent ordeal — highly likely since war happened anyway, and regrettably so since this incident should have helped prevent it — “Official Secrets,” serves as an efficiently told primer. It’s a historical sidebar...
And in the real-life case of British intelligence analyst Katharine Gun, played with trademark poise and fierce smarts by Keira Knightley, a consequential impulse to go rogue and do right by millions of citizens in England and Iraq in the pre-invasion buildup put her squarely in the crosshairs of her country’s need to punish those willing to expose the darker workings in the drumbeat to war.
If you don’t know anything about Gun’s actions and subsequent ordeal — highly likely since war happened anyway, and regrettably so since this incident should have helped prevent it — “Official Secrets,” serves as an efficiently told primer. It’s a historical sidebar...
- 8/27/2019
- by Robert Abele
- The Wrap
Keira Knightley leads an all-star British cast in Official Secrets, a riveting, if not sometimes pedantic, political thriller.
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History moves quickly these days, which is perhaps one of the reasons why Official Secrets, a political drama set in the lead up to the Iraq War, already feels like the ancient kind. It's not, of course. The beginning of the century was not that long ago and the effects of the decision to invade Iraq are still being felt today, a reality that makes this just-period film vital political viewing for anyone unfamiliar with Katharine Gun and the courageous choice she made in trying to stop the Iraq War before it started.
Official Secrets stars Knightley as real-life whistleblower Katharine Gun, a former translator for Britain’s Government Communications Headquarters. In 2003, Gun leaked an intelligence memo detailing the Nsa's request to Britain for help in collecting compromising...
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History moves quickly these days, which is perhaps one of the reasons why Official Secrets, a political drama set in the lead up to the Iraq War, already feels like the ancient kind. It's not, of course. The beginning of the century was not that long ago and the effects of the decision to invade Iraq are still being felt today, a reality that makes this just-period film vital political viewing for anyone unfamiliar with Katharine Gun and the courageous choice she made in trying to stop the Iraq War before it started.
Official Secrets stars Knightley as real-life whistleblower Katharine Gun, a former translator for Britain’s Government Communications Headquarters. In 2003, Gun leaked an intelligence memo detailing the Nsa's request to Britain for help in collecting compromising...
- 8/21/2019
- Den of Geek
"Official Secrets" is the new Brit-American co-pro feature, directed by Gavin Hood ("X-Men Origins: Wolverine"), starring Keira Knightley, Matt Smith ("Doctor Who") , Matthew Goode, Adam Bakri, Indira Varma and Ralph Fiennes ("Schindler's List"), opening August 30, 2019:
"..based on true events, the story follows 'Katharine Gun' (Knightley) who leaks a secret memo exposing an illegal spying operation by covert, 'deep state' operators in the Us Government..."
Main cast includes Keira Knightley as 'Katharine Gun', Matt Smith as 'Martin Bright', Matthew Goode as 'Peter Beaumont', Rhys Ifans as 'Ed Vulliamy', Adam Bakri as 'Yasar Gun', Indira Varma as 'Shami Chakrabarti and Ralph Fiennes as 'Ben Emmerson'.
Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "Official Secrets"...
"..based on true events, the story follows 'Katharine Gun' (Knightley) who leaks a secret memo exposing an illegal spying operation by covert, 'deep state' operators in the Us Government..."
Main cast includes Keira Knightley as 'Katharine Gun', Matt Smith as 'Martin Bright', Matthew Goode as 'Peter Beaumont', Rhys Ifans as 'Ed Vulliamy', Adam Bakri as 'Yasar Gun', Indira Varma as 'Shami Chakrabarti and Ralph Fiennes as 'Ben Emmerson'.
Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "Official Secrets"...
- 8/7/2019
- by Unknown
- SneakPeek
The trailer for a film based on the true story of Gchq whistleblower Katharine Gun, called Official Secrets, has been released. Gun was working as a translator in 2003 when she leaked a confidential email to the Observer revealing Us plans to spy on the Un security council. Knightley tries to stop the Iraq war in the thriller, which is released in British cinemas this autumn and in America in August. The British actors Matt Smith, Matthew Goode and Rhys Ifans star as Observer journalists Martin Bright, Peter Beaumont and Ed Vulliamy...
- 6/12/2019
- The Guardian - Film News
True-life spy story gathers pace ahead of March 12 start.
Ralph Fiennes and Matthew Goode have joined Official Secrets for eOne as the reconfigured spy thriller continues to take shape.
Screen broke the story last month that Keira Knightley and Matt Smith would star for director Gavin Hood as Sierra/Affinity launched pre-sales in Berlin.
Principal photogrphy is set for Monday (March 12) in Yorkshire, England. eOne will oversee production and will finance the project with Screen Yorkshire and Melissa Shiyu Zuo through her Gs Media.
eOne will distribute directly in Canada, UK, Australia/New Zealand, Germany, Benelux and Spain. Sierra/Affinity...
Ralph Fiennes and Matthew Goode have joined Official Secrets for eOne as the reconfigured spy thriller continues to take shape.
Screen broke the story last month that Keira Knightley and Matt Smith would star for director Gavin Hood as Sierra/Affinity launched pre-sales in Berlin.
Principal photogrphy is set for Monday (March 12) in Yorkshire, England. eOne will oversee production and will finance the project with Screen Yorkshire and Melissa Shiyu Zuo through her Gs Media.
eOne will distribute directly in Canada, UK, Australia/New Zealand, Germany, Benelux and Spain. Sierra/Affinity...
- 3/8/2018
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
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