Kill the Messenger (2014)

Kill the Messenger, director Michael Cuesta's re-telling of journalist Gary Webb's expose of the CIA's illegal funding of Nicaraguan Contra rebels and its links to the crack epidemic sweeping across the country, has all the ingredients for a gripping, fact-based drama centred around a story everybody should know more about (at the time, people were distracted by Bill Clinton's White House antics involving Monica Lewinsky). Seminal movies such as All the President's Men and Zodiac portrayed the dangers that come with investigative journalism and managed keep a real-life story suspenseful despite many knowing the outcome already. Kill the Messenger sadly doesn't achieve much of this, and although the movie is competently made and solidly acted, it struggles to hold the attention it should demand by playing things frustratingly formal.Jeremy Renner stars as Webb, the goateed, informally-dressed San Jose Mercury News reporter who carries more than a whiff of anti- establishment about him. While investigating the government seizure of drug dealer's property, even when they've been found innocent, he is handed court papers which seem to reveal that a major drug runner is actually a CIA operative. It's a revelation that will change Webb's life, and he is soon on the government's radar when he follows leads to kingpin Rick Ross (Michael Kenneth Williams) and eventually to Managua to meet with cartel boss Norwin Meneses (Andy Garcia). Everything he uncovers seems to suggest that the CIA, committing high treason in the process, is indirectly funding the wave of crack decimating entire neighbourhoods throughout the U.S. Webb reports his findings in a three-part series entitled Dark Alliance, which quickly becomes one of the internet's first viral hits, before the CIA decide to turn his world upside down.In many ways, the story of a little guy being cruelly picked apart by higher powers is comparable to the one told in The Insider. Yet Michael Mann's masterpiece also demonstrated that a film can be grounded in fact and procedural while keeping the audience engrossed in the story it's telling. Kill the Messenger wisely reserves a large chunk of the running time for what Webb went through after breaking the story, but much of this is bogged down in clichéd domestic squabbles, with Rosemarie DeWitt finding herself criminally underwritten as the nagging wife whose feelings drastically change from one scene to the next. However, it has its moments, especially when showing how Webb was surgically discredited while his bosses (played by Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Oliver Platt) slowly distanced themselves from the negative attention. Renner manages to carry the film despite not being given a whole lot to do apart from exchanging a few "I'm right, you're wrong," arguments with his colleagues. The real-life story alone is shocking enough to make the film worth a watch, but there's a emptiness at its core.

Government cover ups and how people tried to uncover them are always a good source for a movie. It's the whole thing about David versus Goliath sort of. Overcoming odds that seem too big too overcome. But not all stories do end like most would want them too. Will this be any different and did you already know the case? Because as you may already know, this is based in reality/true story.It's really suspenseful from beginning to start and it will be able to keep you at the edge of your seat. The one time Bourne substitute and Avengers team player can show off some other talents here. And Jeremy Renner did so before of course (remember Hurt Locker?), though some may have forgotten. This is to remind everybody of that raw material he's working with. A really good movie from start to finish

Some stories are bigger than the movie, and this is one of them. It would have to be a God-awful film for me to rate it less than a 10. As it happens, it's a very good film with a solid performance from Renner.It is pretty much a one-man show. That's not to say the supporting cast aren't significant, because there are good performances from Patrick, Liotta and Garcia to name but a few. But their moments on screen are very brief, so in the end it all comes down to whether Renner can carry the movie, and I think he does - just.His style is laid-back and that probably suits the role of Webb, who comes across as humble, quiet yet determined and forceful. It's a shame that the name of Gary Webb is not more widely known, but it's good to see the powerful medium of film being put to good use like this.

Kill The Messenger is a film based on the true story of Gary Webb (played by Jeremy Renner) who is a journalist working for a small and little known newspaper called the San Jose Mercury News. When Webb stumbles upon a potential conspiracy between drug-lords and government officials to fund an illegal war in Nicaragua he realises that this is the kind of story that has the potential to put this small newspaper on the map. However, this isn't plain sailing and Webb discovers that a story as big as this can result in consequences that he couldn't possibly begin to imagine.Kill The Messenger is a film that reminded me of All The President's Men - another film where journalists uncover a major scandal. Like All The President's Men, Kill The Messenger uses archive footage presumably to try and make it more realistic and to give the audience a feel for the time and place. Unlike All The President's Men, Kill The Messenger takes place a decade or so after the event has taken place (rather than in 'real time'), but the plot mechanics are similar and see our journalist Gary Webb doing everything in his power to not only get the story, but ultimately discover the truth. Story-wise, it's a very easy film to get involved in as everyone loves to cheer on the little man and witness him uncovering the truth and taking the big boys down.A major strength with Kill The Messenger is that the filmmakers ensure that the film remains focused and the film rarely deviates from Webb's investigation - there are occasions when we're witnessing some soapy 'family stuff', but this is kept to a minimum and is warranted as it does give us an insight into the impact of how uncovering a big story and doing everything you can to find the truth can also have a detrimental effect on those around you. Good direction and writing help to keep the film on track, but this is enhanced by a good central performance by Jeremy Renner. As the heart of the film, Renner had to be at the top of the game to make us be able to feel and identify with the character and he succeeds in achieving this objective.All in all, Kill The Messenger is well worth watching particularly if you like conspiracy thrillers. If you've seen All The President's Men and enjoyed that film then I'm almost certain that you'll enjoy this film.