Based on the true story of an investigative reporter at the San Jose Mercury News, this suspenseful political thriller follows the trials and tribulations of truth-seeking whistleblower Gary Webb (Jeremy Renner), whose 1996 discovery of the CIA's covert role in arming the Nicaraguan Contras and spreading urban addiction to crack cocaine so alarmed government officials that they made him the target of a virulent smear campaign. While working for a small California newspaper, Webb is contacted by the seductive girlfriend (Paz Vega) of a drug trafficker. She's furious that the government seized her boyfriend's property before he went to trial and, after he was acquitted, refused to give it back. She wants Webb to expose this heinous practice and, as enticement, she gives Webb a transcript of the Grand Jury testimony of a major drug smuggler (Yul Vazquez) recruited by the DEA. When Webb tracks down the drug kingpin (Andy García) in prison in Managua, he learns the truth—but it's off-the-record. As Webb pursues one unsubstantiated insinuation after another, scooping major newspapers like the Los Angeles Times, his obsessive sleuthing unsettles his editor (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) and publisher (Oliver Platt), while also jeopardizing his relationship with his long-suffering wife (Rosemary DeWitt) and children. Based on Nick Schou's Kill the Messenger, together with Webb's memoir, Dark Alliances, the film is unfortunately predictable and suffers from heavy-handed direction by Michael Cuesta. Optional. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include audio commentary by director Michael Cuesta, deleted scenes (10 min.), the production segments “The All-Star Cast” (3 min.), “Crack in America” (3 min.), and “Filming in Georgia” (2 min.), and trailers. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release are bonus DVD, digital, and UltraViolet copies of the film. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a disappointing true-life story.] (S. Granger)
Kill the Messenger
Universal, 112 min., R, DVD: $29.98, Blu-ray/DVD Combo: $34.98, Feb. 10 Volume 30, Issue 1
Kill the Messenger
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As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
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