After catching wind of a plot to lie Britain into war with Iraq, a reluctant whistle-blower (Keira Knightley) finds her freedoms rapidly slipping away. Gavin Hood’s firmly buttoned-up drama strictly follows the based-on-actual-events playbook, right down to the now standard (and dramatically deflating) glimpse of the actual people at the end credits. Still, while the narrative may lack oomph, there is some good stuff in Official Secrets, particularly when the ridiculously stacked cast moves past the exposition-heavy setup and starts to actually interact. (As Knightley’s lawyer, Ralph Fiennes’s decision to underplay an already quiet character gets you leaning in to catch every word.) Compellingly dry, and dryly compelling.
Official Secrets screens tomorrow evening at the 45th Seattle International Film Festival. For a breakdown of what’s showing this final week of SIFF, and when, visit The Stranger’s SIFF site.