By Renee’ Collins
Rating: 4.5 (Out of 5 Reels)
The story of Mark Felt (Liam Neeson), who under the name “Deep Throat” helped journalists Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein uncover the Watergate scandal in 1974 (IMDB).
Neeson is spectacular in his role as Felt. It is hard to believe that one or two persons, namely Edgar Hoover, the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and, his deputy director, Felt could hold so much power over the United States government. Hoover had dirt on everyone in Washington and used it to keep his power.
Yes, I will date myself by saying that I was very young when Watergate actually happened. I only remember being told in high school what happened but I never knew whom they suspected of being “deep throat”. Another great film that explores this topic in 2008 is Frost/Nixon directed by Ron Howard. Frank Langella as Nixon and Michael Sheen as David Frost, a British talk-show host who grills Nixon on television after Watergate. It is definitely worth a look if you like this genre of films.
The supporting cast of this film is a who’s who list of Hollywood actors that have been in a myriad of films. From Marton Csokas, Diane Lane, Josh Lucas, Tony Goldwyn to Kate Walsh. Excellent writing, acting and a high production value make this film a must see. The only problem I had with it was a bit too much hand held camera shots during dialogue scenes. Let’s face it, this is a drama and I don’t think that is needed, especially to the extent they went at times. The music also adds to the production value and added to the effectiveness of this film’s storytelling.
If political dramas are what you like then this film is a must see. I would still save a few dollars and catch a matinee.