TRUTH
SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS D: James Vanderbilt. U.S. 121 min. Sep 12, 5 pm Winter Garden Sep 13, 7:45 pm Scotiabank 12. See listings. Rating: NNN
Like the other TIFF awards contender that throws a Spotlight on the value of traditional journalism, Truth mourns investigative reporting in an era when news reporting is defined by bloggers, trolls and sponsored content.
Cate Blanchett plays 60 Minutes producer Mary Mapes, who, along with Robert Redford’s Dan Rather and a crack team of sleuths, uncovers how George W. Bush abused his influence during the Vietnam War to duck out of serving there.
Writer/director Vanderbilt rushes the investigation along and compacts the character-building portions to get to the aftermath, when the journalists are torn apart by political and corporate manoeuvring and an online community wielded as a toxic weapon.
Redford’s presence recalls All The President’s Men, a film that Vanderbilt channelled when he wrote David Fincher’s masterful Zodiac. As much as Truth aspires to such heights, it lacks Fincher’s cool and methodical hand, and his sublime artistry. Vanderbilt’s directorial debut gets swept up with emotions and grand speeches, regularly tripping along the way. Nevertheless, it’s incendiary and entertaining.
