Pubdate: Fri, 10 Oct 2014
Source: Boston Herald (MA)
Copyright: 2014 The Boston Herald, Inc
Contact:  http://news.bostonherald.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/53
Note: Prints only very short LTEs.
Author: James Verniere
Page: E8

'MESSENGER' DELIVERS POLITICAL EXPOSE

Like that on-the-nose title, "Kill the Messenger," based on a book of 
the same name, may be too obvious for its own good. The story of 
reallife San Jose Mercury News journalist Gary Webb, who uncovered a 
plot by the CIA to fund Contra guerrillas in Nicaragua with drug 
money, features a powerful turn by actor/producer Jeremy Renner.

Is it possible that when Reagan-era America declares a "War on 
Drugs," the CIA would engineer such a heinous plot, fueling a crack 
cocaine epidemic and decimating inner cities? It apparently is. 
Instead of being feted for his investigative reporting skills, Webb, 
a solid family man with three happy kids and a loving wife (Rosemarie 
DeWitt), who has forgiven him for a past infidelity, draws the ire 
not only of the government, but also such "venerable" institutions as 
The New York Times and The Washington Post because he had the nerve 
to scoop them.

Renner's Webb is a bit born to be wild as evident from the way he 
drives his high-powered motorcycle and sporty Triumph TR6 roadster. 
At the office, he has the respect of his editor (Mary Elizabeth 
Winstead), even if he's a loose cannon.

Webb is angry that the Drug Enforcement Administration has been 
raiding suspected drug dealers and confiscating their accounts and 
belongings before they are tried in court. He smells something fishy 
and finds a dead whale when he is sent a classified document by the 
sexy wife (Paz Vega) of a suspected drug lord. The trail leads to a 
government witness who admits to smuggling coke for the U.S. 
government. The plot sickens all right. We may have had whistleblower 
dramas galore lately, but Renner is in full James Woods- 
circa-"Salvador" mode, which is a good idea.

But I think he needed a muckraker like Oliver Stone at the helm 
instead of Michael Cuesta of "L.I.E." and TV's "Homeland." Stone, a 
feature-film version of Michael Moore, knows how to turn the heat up 
on political outrage. Cuesta may be too fond of gray areas.

Ray Liotta is terrific as a retired CIA agent and possible assassin 
disgusted with himself for turning left-wing South American 
college-student activists over to death squads. Also fine are Barry 
Pepper, Andy Garcia, Richard Schiff and Michael K. Williams. It may 
be a tad too familiar, but the cast makes "Kill" a must-see for 
political expose junkies.

("Kill the Messenger" contains profanity and drug use.)
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom