official secrets

review by luke bradley

Official Secrets focuses on the life of British translator Katharine Gun (Keira Knightley), and her time working for the British Intelligence agency GCHQ. The film explores the year following Katharine’s decision to leak a sensitive NSA memo which implicated both the US and UK governments in planning the illegal blackmailing of UN members in order to allow the 2003 Iraq invasion to pass. Her decision to take the story to the press ultimately leads to a nationwide scandal amid anti-war protests, and she faces legal action for breaching the Official Secrets Act for which the film is named. What follows is a captivating study on political corruption, and those who get crushed under the iron boot of government.

Anchoring the film is a truly fantastic performance by Keira Knightley. Subtly balancing Katharine’s festering urge to act morally in the face of certain prosecution and her insecurities about the implications of her actions on her family and friends, Knightley presents a truly engaging portrayal that is easily worthy of awards season nods. One scene in particular sends a shiver down the spine, and perfectly encapsulates the unimaginable distress that Katharine experienced in the build up to her trial.

However, don’t expect a courtroom drama. Hardly surprising from the director of the excellent Eye in the Sky (2015), the film cleverly and efficiently cuts back and forth between different players in the ensuing political turmoil. Matt Smith plays Observer journalist Martin Bright, and does so in predictably brilliant form. In fact, the entire cast of journalists - including Rhys Ifans and Game of Thrones’ Conleth Hill - do a tremendous job of humanising those who broke the story. The newsroom banter between different minded journalists provides brief but much needed levity to the film’s serious subject matter. Ralph Fiennes as Katharine’s attorney arrives much later in proceedings and makes surprisingly little impact. However, some of the quieter moments among her defence team work well to explain the denser law terminology necessary to understanding the final act.

Director Gavin Hood makes the impactful decision of using heavy amounts of real-world footage surrounding the political landscape of the time. Acts are bookended with footage of Tony Blair, George Bush and other White House staffers as they continue to lie to the public in the face of substantial incriminating evidence. Also included is footage of the merciless carnage caused by US military fire bombing in Iraq, ensuring that the stakes of Katharine Gun’s one-woman campaign are never lost on the audience. Equally fitting for the film’s documentary-like tone is the use of title cards to introduce every new key figure – necessitating a quick Wikipedia search as you leave the cinema.

It can’t be denied that Official Secrets is incredibly heavy watch; any different approach would simply compromise the weight of the shocking true story. The film’s handling of some of the truly disgusting actions of the British government – including their treatment of Katharine’s Muslim husband Yasar (Adam Bakri) – is not in any respect shied away from, and the film is far better for it. While some will accuse it of taking a political stance, it’s hard to argue with the severe breaches in human rights that took place in the name of an illegal war. 

Official Secrets is a thoroughly fascinating look at the danger of government-led oppression and political corruption. Helped immensely by an enthralling turn from Keira Knightley and a no-holds-barred stance on the issue at hand, the film succeeds in its goal of recounting a story that, in an increasingly corrupt world, has never been more relevant.

Official Secrets is currently screening in theatres across Ireland.