Wes's Grade: C+
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| Jeremy Renner |
The well-acted, uneven new thriller "Kill the Messenger" doesn't do the story of late journalist Gary Webb true justice. The first half is a fascinating look at how Webb wrote his stories uncovering government corruption, then seems to peter out on a downbeat note by the end of the movie. The film takes place in the mid 1990s, when acclaimed journalist Gary Webb (Oscar-nominee Jeremy Renner) uncovered the CIA's past role in importing huge amounts of cocaine into the U.S. that was aggressively sold in ghettos across the Country to raise money for the Nicaraguan Contras rebel army. Despite enormous pressure not to, Webb chose to pursue the story and went public with it. As a result he experienced a vicious smear campaign fueled by the CIA and he found himself defending his integrity, his family, and his life. Directed by TV director Michael Cuesta and written by Peter Landesman, based on Webb's own "Dark Alliance" book and Nick Schou's novel of the same name, the serviceable "Kill the Messenger" has a great cast and an interesting story worthy to be told, but it falters down the stretch in giving a well-rounded look at Webb's story. The first half is particularly intriguing, even inspiring as it examines how Webb wrote his stories and the impact they had, but it somehow disappoints in the last act as it veers off toward Webb's personal life, which held little relevance on the situation as a whole. As the award-winning investigative journalist who uncovers a vital story to the U.S., Renner gives a sturdy, even clever performance as Webb that holds the film through its weaker moments in its last act. Problematic is the use of some solid characters in cameos; it amounts little more than stunt casting to see the likes of Andy Garcia, Michael Sheen, Robert Patrick, Paz Vega, Richard Schiff and Ray Liotta in blink-or-you-miss-it turns, and their presence seems more of a distraction than anything. Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Oliver Platt and Rosemarie DeWitt, however, are all solid in more substantial roles as his newspaper colleagues and wife, respectively. Unfortunately, all of it seems to run out of steam by the end, and the coda is particularly a downbeat one if you know anything about Webb's life (he committed suicide, which is alluded to in the film), all particularly sad given the contributions he made. "Kill the Messenger" is a well-acted, modest film about a modest journalist who made some worthy contributions, but ultimately the story lacks power and seems an after thought. Worth a look if you like Renner, but you may be better off reading Webb's "Dark Alliance" book for yourself.
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