Truth, directed and produced by James Vanderbilt, is focused on the Killian documents controversy, which ended celebrated anchor Dan Rather’s career at CBS, an entertaining take that will hook viewers.
Based on television news producer Mary Mapes’ memoir, Truth and Duty: The Press, the President and the Privilege of Power, the film depicts Mapes (Cate Blanchett) and her team, heavy hitting, truth-seeking journalists, against the Bush administration and the rest of the journalistic world by discrediting President George W. Bush’s time in the National Guard.
Truth illustrates great acting paired with great writing, regardless of how biased the telling of the story may be. Painting the careers of Mapes, and Rather (Robert Redford) as journalistic saviors, the acting and writing throughout the film is top notch. The movie attempts to force the viewer to see Mapes as the “good guy” instead of telling the complete story. Showing in great detail the falsifying of a document from the 1970’s used by Mapes in her investigation, the film demonstrates how she made mistakes that anybody could make— instead of placing responsibility on the experienced journalist.
An excellent story that allows the viewers to become attached to each of the characters, it suffers from over-dramatization and a biased point of view, depicting everyone not working for CBS as second-rate journalists looking to destroy CBS’s credibility. CBS has released a statement saying, “It’s astounding how little truth there is in Truth.”
Blanchett puts on a stellar performance offering a solid depiction of Mapes’ thought process. Alongside her is Redford, who portrays Rather as a suave father figure, powerful but confusing at times. Rather and Mapes are often portrayed as underdogs despite Rather being the face of journalistic integrity at that time.
Unfortunately, the rest of a stellar cast are relegated to largely forgettable roles. Elisabeth Moss and Dennis Quaid are reduced to wasted roles after passionate introductions into the story. The likes of Mike Smith (Topher Grace) has to force his way into the story to gain the viewer’s attention.
Truth provides its own brand of veracity, leaving the viewer to decide if what’s presented is an accurate representation of what occurred.
Truth is now playing at Michigan Theater, Quality 16 Theater, and Rave Cinemas.
Antonio Cooper is a freelance journalist from Detroit, Michigan. His coverage of music festivals and interviews with local celebrities appeared in The E-Current Magazine, The Detroit Metro Times, XXL Magazine, RichMagDigital, The Ann Arbor Observer, and Pop Magazine.
