Friday, October 23, 2015

Truth Movie Review

Cate Blanchett & Robert Redford (r) star in Truth

F*ck 'Em All

Rotten Tomatoes Plot: On the morning of September 9, 2004, veteran CBS News producer Mary Mapes (Cate Blanchett) believed she had every reason to feel proud of a broadcast journalism job well done. By the end of the day, Mapes, CBS News, and the venerable CBS News anchor Dan Rather (Robert Redford) would be under harsh scrutiny. Directed by James Vanderbilt. Co-stars Topher Grace, Bruce GreenwoodElisabeth Moss and Dennis Quaid.


Apparently, no-one is exempt from screwing up... even the supposed "gold standard" for TV journalism, 60 Minutes. Vanderbilt explores 2004's Rathergate from a newsmaker's perspective; and while it sheds a sympathetic light upon Rather (and to a lesser extent, Mapes) it fails to exonerate them. Rather declares, "You stop asking questions, and that's when the American people lose," but doesn't that include checking your sources, especially when targeting the President of the United States? Blanchett steals the show (Redford's good too) but casting Grace and Quaid is suspect at best. Interesting in spurts, but not enough to make you care.
GradeB-