FAIR GAME

I had the opportunity to attend a preview screening of FAIR GAME the other evening courtesy of omy.sg.

I was keen to see this as I'm a bit of a fan of Naomi Watts who seems to have been shooting up the silver screen ranks out of nowhere in the last 10 years, and was intrigued by the combination of her with Sean Penn in a movie from the director of Bourne Identity.

If you were someone who followed the Weapons of Mass Destruction saga that was the product of the Bush years, then you will probably be interested to watch this movie. This film is  based around the craziness of these times...and it's a good reminder of what a crazy world we live in and how politics and power can blow everything out of the water.

This movie is essentially about a covert CIA agent (Naomi Watts) who gets outed by the Bush administration causing an abrupt halt of her undercover career. It's all over - you guessed it - the manipulation of intelligence about Weapons of Mass Destruction and the big question mark hanging over the White House's head about the validity of their invasion of Iraq.

While the first half of the movie is all thrills and spills, with the uncovering of vital information and secret missions, things get a lot more human in the second half as her life unravels before her eyes, threatening her marriage and the safety of her family.

I love Naomi Watts in this - she is vulnerable, intense and real all at the same time which is the trademark I've come to love.

With the interweaving of footage from the Iraq war, it reminded me of the horrors of the time, and overall of what a big and sometimes scary power the American government can be in the wrong hands. Well it's good to be reminded of these things.... thank goodness Obama is in power.

The Social Network. Everyone is talking about it... Why?

Is it because…

A. It’s a great movie

B. It beautifully depicts the conception and development of one of the most genius ideas of the 21^st century

C. You realise just what a mastermind Mark Zuckerberg is

D. It stars Justin Timberlake

It really depends who you’re asking. Now I don’t want to ruin it for anyone who hasn’t seen the movie so if all you have seen in this trailer...well maybe check back after.

I have to say I left the cinema feeling really inspired – even if the story was a little hammed up it made you realise just what an incredible feat Facebook was and still is.

However, much of the movie is apparently fiction and is said to sensationalize the events surrounding Facebook’s founding. For instance, while Zuckerberg did go to a meeting in his pyjamas and get business cards reading "I'm CEO...bitch", he did not conceive the FB idea exclusively to get noticed by the exclusive clubs and hot girls of Harvard. 

What’s more the depiction of a Zuckerberg as a socially awkward, ego-maniac is said to be way off. Hmm he doesn’t sound like a socially awkward ego-maniac in this clip  taking about his feelings towards the book and movie now does he…?

But cinema is art and who believes everything they see on the silver screen anyway???

It’s a good movie, with good acting. Take it with a pinch of salt but please tell me if anyone else find’s Justin Timberlake REALLY ANNOYING?!  

And if you want to delve deeper see what Chasing the Frog has to say about the facts and myths of this movie.