User reviews

The ending reminded me of "The Sixth Sense". The only thing is, it was just us (the viewers) this time. Although the major part of the script was focused on Beckinsale's character which she flawlessly portrays, but it was Vera Fermiga who stole the show with her limited screen time. Since, it was a work of fiction which was somewhat inspired by real events, a more screen space to Fermiga's character would have certainly maintained the intensity in the plot which clearly declined after she parts away. You have to watch it to believe it. These two ladies faced off each other twice in the movie and I have to say those were the moments you couldn't forget. As for the whole movie, it is something you don't see regularly on Hollywood's menu and therefore is definitely worth your time.

The ending will leave you asking this question to yourself - "Was she really protecting the source? Was it really about her principles?" And yes, you will get your answers shortly and that answer changes every opinion you had about the characters that you could have vouched for.

And this my friend is what makes this piece of work alluring!

I first heard about this film because of Matt Dillon, one of my favourite actors. He is the second billing in this film, right behind Kate Beckinsale, also starring Vera Farmiga, Alan Alda, Angela Bassett, and David Schwimmer.

The film is about Rachel Armstrong, a reporter (Beckinsale) who has written the story of her life: a military coup by the United States on a South American country was a lie, a Watergate, an operation that could get a president impeached. One CIA agent (Farmiga) had been there before the attack and had reported that there was no need to attack. They attacked anyway, and through a number of sources, Armstrong succeeds in finding the story. When the paper hits, the government realizes that they must find out the original source of Armstrong. Hired to find out this story is Patton Dupois (Matt Dillon), who goes after Armstrong with a ruthless but aloof determination. She is held in contempt of court when she refuses to reveal her source, and she is put in jail. Armstrong's boss (Bassett) and her lawyer (Alda) urges her to keep up the stand she has taken, while her husband (Schwimmer) is angry that she has done this. She herself must cope with the consequences of taking on the government, and the pressure just lays on throughout the story.

Beckinsale keeps the story going easily with her brilliant performance. The story is of course, focused on her, and the effect of imprisonment and interrogation can be seen on her face when she sees her son through the glass of visiting hours, or when Dupois questions her in court. Matt Dillon is also a brilliant actor, and I hope the two of them get nominated this year. However, while Dillon deserves it, I think Alda will end up with the nomination, who is both witty and cynical throughout the court battles.

The film's true strength comes from the fact that it is not a true Hollywood film. There is a tone about it that is certainly not like a usual story like this. The characters are dark, but also with redeeming qualities. Schwimmer's character of the husband does hurtful things, but out of weakness rather than malice. Dillon's character is ruthless in his prosecution, but in truth, he is just doing his job well. Even Beckinsale's character is not the underdog hero that this film could have been about. Thankfully, this movie takes a different route.

It was a real enjoyment seeing this film. Dillon shines as he usually has when I've seen him, and so do Beckinsale and Farmiga. The only over-the-top character is that of Avril Aaronson, played by Noah Wyle, and is thankfully overshadowed by the good performances of those who carry the film.

I saw this film at a press screening last weekend. Wow! What an achievement. This story is masterfully executed, creating a lyrical and deeply affecting empathy with the film's lead character, played with Oscar-worthy precision and nuance by Kate Beckinsale. This film is truly about something, which isn't as common as I think we'd hope with movies. It has truly meaningful themes that are dramatized in an entertaining, emotional and often eloquent way. The acting is top-notch. The direction is confident.

I don't want to say much about the plot because it has some nice twists and touching moments that come from the organic development of the characters' relationships, their conflicts and their fight for what they believe in. This film is about principle. This film unapologetically stands for the power of our word and the example we set for our children. It's a must-see this Holiday season. It may only have a limited release due to complications experienced by its distributor, so get out now and see it! Don't just wait for DVD. This one is an outstanding experience in the presence of others because in many ways it's about what unites us when we believe in ourselves and the integrity of other.

This was shown last night at the Toronto International Film Festival and was very well received. It is a beautifully acted, deftly written examination of the tension between freedom of the press and the power of the state, based very loosely on the Valerie Plame case. The fact that writer and director Rod Lurie spent 13 years in the newspaper business is evident throughout, making for one of the most compelling and believable portrayals of what it is like to be a political reporter for a major newspaper since All the President's Men. Kate Beckinsale (the reporter) and Vera Farmiga (as the CIA operative) are outstanding and each delivers an Oscar-worthy performance. Matt Dillon gives one of his best performances as the smarmy, ambitious and self-righteous prosecuting attorney. David Schwimmer, an odd casting choice, does a fine job within a fairly narrow range. Surprisingly, I even enjoyed Alan Alda's performance as a high-powered, rather cynical and self-obsessed Washington lawyer, hired to defend the beleaguered reporter. But the two women really steal the show.

There was much discussion in our group about the ending and whether it enhanced or undercut the basic message of the film. No point in spoiling it here, but I can assure you it will provoke debate.

This is a movie for those wishing a career in public relations, not journalism, as it claims. Ms Beckinsale plays a reporter willing to risk everything to do the right thing, namely, protect her source. And by my estimation she succeeds quite handily. I didn't really think she could act very well, though she'd never really been tested, but she clearly can and does here, and it's a pleasure to see because there are way too many actresses out there who are merely a pretty face and body.

I had no problem thinking she could have been this determined reporter, but I should mention that my wife felt differently. Now my wife is not too kind to pretty women in general so I'm not quite sure what to make of it, but I enjoyed Kate's performance, with some minor reservations, and had no trouble being carried along by it, and it does the heavy lifting in the story, consuming the lion's share of the film. She's a beautiful lady, and perhaps I might question her having ever endured much pain and suffering in her personal life, but I don't doubt she understands what it means to have principles and can effectively imagine what it would be like to fight for them.

Another surprise was Alan Alda who I generally dislike. Here he's quite good, I thought, as was Matt Dillon, Vera Farmiga and David Schwimmer. Mr Dillon is actually quite memorable and you can't take your eyes off Vera whenever she's on screen and you kind of wish she were on more. But the biggest surprise of all was that they would try to confuse what Judith Miller did with what Kate Beckinsale's character does in this film.

Ms Miller is hardly a hero. She gladly passed on information fed to her by a vindictive White House. And, why not? She'd long since done the same for the intelligence agencies before that, not particularly caring whether the information was merely manipulative or not. As I understand it, she was most interested in forwarding Israel's agenda in the New York Times whenever she could. And it was less a matter of finding the truth than it was playing gullible at the right moment. That they're clearly attempting to resurrect her career here is pretty contemptible though I can't really say that completely destroys the performances or the peculiar entertainment value of the movie.

Kate Beckinsale, Vera Farmiga, Alan Alda, Matt Dilon. Such great cast alone was enough "quality stamp" for me to get me interested in this film. I must say Nothing But The Truth has exceeded my expectations many times over.

Based on a true story, the basic plot line has close focus on a reporter of a Washington D.C. major newspaper Rachel Armstrong (Kate Beckinsale) who after writing an article on the US president's actions revealing the identity of a secret CIA agent Erica Van Doren (Vera Farmiga) is being pressured to reveal her secret source by the government in such ways she could never have imagined.

The story flows flawlessly, picks up nicely and slowly drags you into a twist of controversial emotions, drawing the characters with all their pros and cons and letting you slowly get acquainted with their moral inner fights.

Beckinsale and Farmiga have a great energy between them that will have you forget you're watching a movie and catch your breath at the few scenes at which they confront each other. Alda, as usual is a brilliant defender of humanity and freedom. Dilon's take on the "hyenous prosecutor" is so tremendously real will all aspects of belief in his work it's simply scary.

Alik Sakharov great DoP work on this film shows every muscle moving on the actors' faces, which underlines the great work of the actors.

This film definitely proves Lurie knows what he's doing out there and I'll definitely have my eye on his future work.

After a Presidential assassination attempt, he orders an attack against Venezuela. Columnist Rachel Armstrong (Kate Beckinsale) writes that the President ignored CIA operative Erica Van Doren (Vera Farmiga) when ordering the attack. The media descends on Erica and her life is turned upside down. The government moves to force Rachel to name her secret source. She refuses and is jailed for contempt.

Of course, it's a ripped-from-the-headlines kind of story. They make sure to say that this is fictional. Writer/director Rod Lurie does a reasonable job but this has a bit too much TV movie feel. Maybe he should have not copied so much from the headlines. There are big enough actors involved but it needs big cinematic flourishes. I won't give any spoilers, but I do love the big reveal at the end.

NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH does what the newspapers have basically stopped doing: it focuses on issues that affect the nation from the very top of the government down, revealing the machinations of behind the scenes secrecy that could break the Bill of Rights into pieces. In many ways it is a horror movie, if the story line of the film 'based on a real incident' examined in such a carefully realized way is unknown to many viewers Yes, movies are movies and need to alter names and places and events to create a dramatic effect, but the story here is one that needs diligent attention as we continue to re-evaluate the dense and covered shadows that remain from the last administration.

An attempted assassination of the President too quickly leads to naming Venezuela as perpetrator and under the guise of 'national security' that country is placed as the target for a possible preemptive war (sound familiar?). Cover-up begins and an undercover CIA operative is disclosed by a gutsy female reporter whose story is so important that it suggests the possibility of being in line for a Pulitzer Prize. But the government doesn't want the truth to leak and the reporter is eventually jailed and imprisoned for refusing to reveal her source of the story. The ending of the film is indeed terrifying.

The well selected cast includes Kate Beckinsale as the brave reporter, Vera Farminga as the outed CIA operative, David Schwimmer as Beckinsale's frightened husband, Matt Dillon as the government henchman assigned to get Beckinsale to reveal her source and Alan Alda as the lawyer who supports Beckinsale's stance (his speech before the Supreme Court will be remembered as some of the finest and most gripping writing in years). Others in strong supporting roles include Angela Bassett, Noah Wylie, and Floyd Abrams.

Sam Lurie wrote and directed this engrossing film with the good sense to not hammer the audience over the head with the fairly obvious comparisons to the shenanigans of the Bush/Cheney administration, leaving the evidence in plain sight that when the President decides what can and can't be known to the public - in the name of 'homeland security' - our constitutional rights and even our democratic form of government is at stake. This is a fine movie, beautifully acted, and SHOULD be seen by everyone. Grady Harp

A good film loosely inspired by the journalist Judith Miller. Always good to see films that remind me that journalism used to have integrity and guts... something we need these days. Kate Beckinsale, Matt Dillon and Alan Alda killed it. David Schwimmer just looks like a sad, lost puppy dog as usual.

Are you a reasonably smart person? If so, you will see the "surprise" ending coming within five minutes. As the whole movie hinges on this, it's a major flaw (and plot-hole - if the viewer can figure it out, wouldn't the CIA / FBI / special investigators also be able to?)

It's a shame, as otherwise the performances are pretty good - even the kids & Ross from Friends. Alan Alda was especially believable and likable as a fashion-obsessed yet principled lawyer.

That the ending was left open and that the movie didn't try to hammer home the point were also positives. Yet, as noted, going for the "big ending" was a major weakness that just couldn't be overcome.

Anytime I see a project that has Rod Lurie attached, I can't get to a screening fast enough. His writing is always intelligent, decisive, thought provoking, timely and topical, with a story that embraces integrity, ethics, morals and social conscience. His direction is always with military crispness, sharp and clean. His casting choices are impeccable and his characters well crafted, multi-textural, fractured human beings that have a fire about them that draws one as a viewer ever deeper into the story and the film. Lurie now attains even greater heights with the riveting NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH. Championing justice and the high price of integrity, conviction and principle, he takes a page from today's headlines and makes it his own with a story involving a top notch journalist and an exposed undercover CIA operative and the the fight to protect not only a source but the values of motherhood, family, privacy and the right to know.

Kate Beckinsale is mesmerizing as Rachel Armstrong. A physically demanding role given the intense prison sequences, her physicality pales in comparison to the emotional intensity and strength she puts forth on screen. Like a caged animal, she calculates every move, every action, every reaction with an internal ferocity that ignites every scene. Equally amazing is Vera Farmiga as Erica Van Doren. Having just seen Farmiga as a devoted loving WWII mother in "The Boy In The Striped Pajamas", I was blown away by her tough as nails, hard core performance as Van Doren which she balanced with a carefully toned maternal edge; an act equaling that of Beckinsale's maternal double edged sword.

As if the women aren't reason enough to be on the edge of your seat with Lurie's taut script, enter Noah Wylie, Matt Dillon and Alan Alda. Noah Wylie was a surprise casting choice as Avril Aaronson but he is a completely neurotic firey self-involved frenetic attorney - to a tee. But then toss in a little taste of a legal oil slick in the form of Matt Dillon as prosecutor Patton Dubois and the ante is upped exponentially. As Dubois, Dillon brings new levels of arrogance and self-importance to the perception of attorneys (and trust me, many are very arrogant) which sparks dynamic chemistry between he and Beckinsale. And then there's Alan Alda. Always a welcome addition to any film, and particularly a Rod Lurie film, Alda is the voice of reason, the conscience of the film. He gives reasoned voice to the character of Rachel and never moreso than in one of the most impassioned and empowered monologues addressing the Supreme Court. That exquisitely written argument and Alda's delivery is phenomenal. It is the social conscience and fundamental essence of the film. Powerful and priceless, it's eloquence defies description.

Lurie himself even says, "I think Kate is just fantastic in the film, as is Vera and Alan. " A real coup was the casting of one of the seminal First Amendment attorneys in the United States, Floyd Abrams, who stepped in not only to play Judge Hall, but he also served as technical adviser on the film. Sometimes he would stop in the middle of the shoot and say 'this is wrong' to which Lurie would tell him, 'You're playing it, play it right." The meticulous detail of the written structure is equaled by Lurie's fine tuned direction. Metaphorically addressing the issues of the film through light and texture, the visual aspect of the film is as interesting as the dialogue. What strikes me most, however, is the intricately woven clues that lead up to the surprise climactic ending where we finally do learn the answers to Rachel's personal convictions. It will blow your mind.

Intelligently written. Potent performances. Superlative gripping story. A principled film that speaks soberly and passionately about standing up for one principles; be it a soccer mom, CIA agent or reporter. When all is said and done there is NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH.

Written and directed by Rod Lurie.

For my complete review of the film and interviews with Rod Lurie and Kate Beckinsale, go to www.moviesharkdeblore.com

The great strength of films about investigative journalism often lies in the rising tension, the meticulous progression of a discovery, and the suffocating sense of danger. Nothing But the Truth takes a different approach. Instead of throwing us into a spiral of increasing revelations and unsettling suspense, it hands us the bomb right from the start: journalist Rachel Armstrong (Kate Beckinsale) has the story ready, a national scoop revealing that the president ignored the findings of a CIA agent, and now the film follows her as her life unravels in the wake of the consequences of her publication.

It's a valid approach, of course, but inevitably less engaging for those who appreciate the weight of a thorough investigation and the unfolding of a growing mystery. Here, the game has already begun, and what remains for the viewer is to watch the protagonist struggle against a system that demands one non-negotiable thing from her: the revelation of her source. The issue is relevant, resonating with the debate over press freedom and professional confidentiality, but the film chooses to tell this story more through the lens of personal drama than through the tension of the legal or political conflict.

The narrative structure reinforces this focus by adopting a nearly diary-like format, highlighting Rachel's endless days in prison as her marriage collapses and her relationship with her son weakens. The intention is clear: to humanize her resistance, to make the audience feel every lost day due to her moral stubbornness. But was this the best approach? The drama works, but something is missing to make it truly impactful. Rachel's imprisonment could have been a suffocating hell, an overwhelming existential dilemma - but instead, the film takes a predictable path, lacking that unbearable sense of weight that would have made this journey memorable.

Furthermore, the film could have enriched its narrative by better exploring characters like the Special Prosecutor (Matt Dillon). He isn't a villain, just a man doing his job within the system - which, in itself, could have been an interesting point of conflict. But he remains functional, with no space for his perspective to be explored in a way that would have further challenged both the protagonist and the audience. What if we had seen a glimpse of hesitation in him? There is a clear choice to keep the drama centered on the journalist, without delving too much into the other players in this legal chess game.

The ending, however, partly compensates for the lack of impact, with a final ironic revelation about the source's identity. It's a nice touch, even though it doesn't resolve the feeling that the film was lacking a more intense energy, a more penetrating suspense. Nothing But the Truth is competent, with a solid script and effective performances, but its more sentimental and less investigative approach may not be for everyone. It's a film that fervently defends press freedom, but in the end, it feels like a highly important article that, out of fear of crossing boundaries, settles for merely skimming the surface. It lacked the boldness of a daring investigation, that scoop that turns an ordinary story into something unforgettable.

Very nice movie, a bit slow. Kate Beckinsale refuses to not look completely edible even when she has jail scenes, while Vera Farmiga looks just as good as to make one think it will be a movie about a cat fight. But it is far from it. I think the best acted role in this movie belongs to Matt Dillon, though.

The film portrays the trials (pun intended) of an American journalist who is jailed and then imprisoned for withholding the source of her article. Why? Because it involved matters of national security. Is national security more important than truth and integrity? The movie tries to explain why it is not by detailing how deep this is inscribed in the U.S. legislation. Basically, you can say whatever you want, just not what they don't want you to say.

Kate Beckinsale does a very good role, a bit airy and a bit brave. "A water walker", someone calls her character in the film. Best description ever :) David Schwimmer manages to be annoying in this one, as well.

Bottom line: a must see movie, however keep in mind that even if it based on the true story of Valerie Plame, it is very loosely so. Yet, without being American, my guess is that the legislation portrayed in the film exists and any reporter could and would go through the main character's ordeal if having enough backbone.

AS I write this this has got votes of 8.4 - how I don't know - it's kind of good in a normal political thriller but it's nowhere as great as that rating suggests.

Good solid performances and a solid plot with an attempt at a MacGuffin here or there but at no point did I feel that this was the best political thriller or this or any other year.

Perfectly watchable on DVD when you want to feel you're sticking up for democracy it really never drives its point home as hard as you would wish.

All in all perfectly watchable but it lacks real teeth...

One of the nicest flick I've seen in the recent times. Great directing, acting, and an excellent story line. I thought I'll watch this for Matt Dillon, but the center stage is absorbed by the truly talented Kate Beckinsale. Kudos to her for a terrific performance. Our friend David Schwimmer has done a pretty descent job. Rest of the supporting cast is well chosen. Movie flows really well until the last 5 min!! I felt this movie was 99% really really good and the remaining 1% really really killed it.

Enough said - Watch it, some will surely love it, the logic appliers/believers will hate the ending, and for the neutral its a win win movie.

Commentary:

Quietly, cautiously and self-consciously, Rod Lurie has for nearly a decade now worked at building a sterling reputation as the most significant writer-director of substantial films since Oliver Stone. In such movies as "The Contender" and Abc-TV's "Commander In Chief", Lurie has dealt with politics and journalism and, in his uniquely appealing way, the odd, complex, symbiotic relationship between them. That vision was extended to also comment on--criticizing more than celebrating--the mystery of macho values, be they in actual combat or the athletic sphere, in "Resurrecting The Champ", "The Last Castle", and TV's "Line Of Fire"; here's a theme Lurie is certain to explore to its fullest in his announced remake of the controversial Sam Peckinpah classic "Straw Dogs".

Meanwhile, Lurie has returned to his original combination of preoccupations for "Nothing But The Truth", the film that will, if there is any justice in the world (and at the box-office), arc his reputation from cult indie filmmaker for the educated-elite into the most important mainstream movie maker in the business, able to entertain with edge of your seat suspense while quietly informing you about the most important elements in our society.

Clearly, "Nothing But The Truth" was inspired by the Valerie Plame/Judy Miller incident: the film focuses on a curious relationship that develops between a reporter (Kate Beckinsale) and a spy (Vera Farmiga) when the former "outs" the latter in a newspaper story. Yet anyone expecting a combination of docudrama and roman-a-clef will be in for a surprise. Rather than remain slavishly true to the details, or even the essence, of the real-life situation, Lurie employs the premise but loosely, in order to explore those issues that most matter to him: the powers of the press and the politicos, as well as the impact of their natural conflict on the all-important First Amendment.

But don't think for one moment that this turns out to be some dry 'message movie.' "Nothing But The Truth" plays as a Hitchcockian thriller, right down to the twist ending that makes a mainstream viewer want to go back and watch the movie over again, just to try and spot the hints of what is in store for us at the conclusion so as to try and grasp how we "never saw it coming" even though Lurie prepared us every inch of the way.

There are great lines here that people will be quoting for years as phrases and statements enter into our idiomatic English. Lurie's direction proves as scintillating as his writing: subtle touches make clear that he knows how to tell a story visually as well as verbally. Likely, film critics of today and cinema historians of the future will debate his smart directorial decisions; yet they are so subtly done that the average viewer will remain entirely unaware of them (the way, of course, it should be), blithefully enjoying a terrific 'show' as all the artistry is understated.

Best of all, Lurie--though clearly a liberal--never preaches to us in the manner we have come to expect (and, if the failure of W is any indication, finally reject) from Oliver Stone. Stone's movies are all centered around some idea which he hammers home. Lurie's films contain numerous ideas without ever becoming simplistically ideological. Though we clearly grasp what he thinks about important issues, Lurie leaves us free to make up our own minds. Stone tells us precisely what to think; Lurie explains what we ought to be thinking about. It's the difference between propaganda and education, the one narrowing our own intellectual abilities, the other expanding them.

Expect this to be the breakthrough film for an expansive auteur who gets a little bit better with each picture, though it's hard to see how he'll top this one. Then again, those of us who discovered his work early on said that about "The Contender" and every film he has made since.

--Douglas Brode Professor of Cinema/Television Studies The Newhouse School, Syracuse University

this film certainly poses some ethical and moral questions,and it also entertains.the acting is first rate,especially by Kate Beckinsale,who is decidedly unglamorous in this role.hers was the meatiest role of the whole cast and i think she acquitted herself quite well.Vera Farmiga was also good,but in a smaller role.Matt Dillon was adequate in a small role.I like Angela Bassett,but i thought her role could have been expanded.Noah Wiley though really impressed,in a small,but important role,as did David Schwimmer.i loved the subtlety of the ending,which i never saw coming.i thought it was genius.for me,Nothing But the Truth is a 7/10

In this brave new world of Internet news, sound bites, 24-hour news cycles and politicos masquerading as journalists, ANY popularization of the trade-craft of real journalism should be commended.

Inasmuch as this film accomplishes that general goal, it is a must see.

It's individual merits as an exploration of the rigors inherent to the journalist's profession, sadly, are another matter.

As entertainment, the film succeeds in the way Oliver Stone films do: It's main character is ensnared in an ethical dilemma and we all watch on in horror as their life gets ground into confetti. See it if you enjoy 'Law & Order,' on TV.

'Nothing but the Truth' was inspired by the story of Judith Miller, the New York Times reporter who in 2005 went to jail for 85 days because she refused to reveal her source for an article she'd written in connection with the Valerie Plame affair. In the movie, Kate Beckinsdale stars as Rachel Armstrong, soccer mom and reporter for a fictional Washington D.C. newspaper. When she writes an article that puts her in dutch with the government, she ends up in the slam because she won't reveal her source. Matt Dillon stars as the less-than-progressive special prosecutor who's supposed to shake the name out of her. Alan Alda stars as the world's most ineffectual defense lawyer. And well-crafted supporting roles are played by Angela Basset as her editor, David Schwimmer as her idiot husband, and Noah Wyle, as counsel for her newspaper.

Anybody who enjoys true-to-life drama about the law as it relates to the rights of journalists to serve the public interest will enjoy this film the way a starving man might enjoy half a cheese sandwich: It's better than nothing, but doesn't quite do the job.

Why? A few things: first, there's just a little too much pulp on deck in this film and it takes three forms:

First, I just don't buy Kate Beckinsdale in this role. It's not that she's too hot to play smart girls it's that she's too dumb to play smart girls. This is an actress who is usually up against werewolves on screen, not nuanced matters of principle.

Second, the price she pays personally for her legal stand are portrayed far more often than the dynamics of the stand itself: As is par for the course in modern American media, Armstrong has a creepily friend-like relationship with her young son, whom she encourages to be more interested in her career than his own homework. That relationship devolves even further once she's incarcerated and we're treated to every inch of that process whilst getting only cursory runs at the actual matter of law involved. And instead of portrayals of the politicking that such a case would generate, we get the politics of conjugal visits.

Third, violence. Instead of portrayals, perhaps, of the violence done to the public trust and to the Constitution, we get pointless shootings, curse-laden flip-outs, and humiliating jailhouse smackdowns.

All that said, the film does veer occasionally into what an educated person might consider an engaging plot-line and some vaguely real-life drama. The state of the culture war is nicely illustrated by Dillon's exchanges with Alda's character as the cock-sure jingoistic southern boy squares off against a moneyed but aging liberal elitist.

Where this film really goes wrong, regrettably, was the ending. Just as so many cop films rely on cheap melodrama to pull you into the motivations of the obsessive constabulary du jour, so too does this film cut corners. Movie cops these days can never go that extra mile out of a sense of duty or professionalism. It's always because, "you killed my partner!" 'Nothing But the Truth,' similarly reaches for our heart-strings as an end-run around our gray matter. We learn that Ms. Armstrong's commitment to abstract principles of right and wrong may never be as important to her as her own personal motivations and that's a lousy way to treat a theme that had the common courtesy to drive your whole plot for you.

And finally, the Judith Miller case had ups and downs and if memory serves took many more an odd turn than did Ms. Armstrong's character, who's plight is essentially a relentless plunge into Dante's inferno. Just when we need more accurate portrayals in the media of the value of diligent journalism, we instead get a cautionary tale about everything you can lose by doing the right thing. Seems counterproductive.

If you want to see a real-life drama reflecting true newspaper journalism, allow me to suggest 'All the King's Men,' with Dustin Hoffman and Robert Redford.

Kate Beckinsdale, indeed.

This movie review by Erik Gloor