Full Disclosure (2001)

I swear to you, that is an actual line in this. When will film-makers learn not to give audiences stuff that is so easily converted to insults about their work? I haven't watched, or even heard of, anything else by the director or writer, and suspect that their involvement in putting this thing together is the main reason it comes up short. The script could use help(the cliché-count is dangerously high, many of them appearing in the otherwise at times great dialog), especially the cheesy ending. It is an interesting and important subject that continues to be relevant today; the Israeli/Pakistani conflict. I liked the very noir-like music that was used, as well. The plot has plenty of developments, some of them surprises. Pacing isn't too bad. There is tension in this. The cast has proved talents(Madsen is underused). I like Ward; he's yet to disappoint me, and he's proved that he can be serious and funny without trying too hard. He's a tad similar to Clint Eastwood with the look and the voice(yes, that is about how far you can go in comparing them). The acting varies, but the leads are pretty good. It's unfortunate that this doesn't go above the level of being decent. I was entertained, for what it's worth. There is a bit of strong language and a little brutal violence and disturbing content in this. I recommend this to big fans of the concept or those who made it. 5/10

I usually don't like these sort of movies, but I really do like Rachel Ticotin in just about any role and the casting of Fred Ward (not your typical leading man) in the lead role certainly caught my attention. Ward is former ace reporter who now spends too much time with his bottle, Ticotin is a possible terrorist suspect on the run who gets delivered to Ward's door. There's at least two major twists in this - the folks who deliver Ticotin to Ward were (unknown to them) dimed out to the police by him 30 years ago; and Ward just regained national prominence by breaking the story on the assassination where Ticotin is a suspect, so he's actually hiding the subject of his investigation. Penelope Ann Miller is also very effective as a coldly efficient hit (wo)man. I really liked the feel of this movie throughout. I appreciate the concept of the wrap, but it just doesn't play very well, for which this gets docked a point.

Spoiler Alert When I see Fred Ward, I expect to also see an action type character. Much to my chagrin, that doesn't happen in this film. The closest he gets to any action is lying on the floor shooting the real action character played by Penelope Ann Miller. The reason the movie drags along is that Fred Ward plays an award winning reporter for a New York newspaper but he never really does any leg work to promote his stories. All his material is handed to him by a CIA agent that merely wants to make the FBI look as bad as the CIA. The unique twist is the CIA has a hired gun played by Penelope Ann Miller who's been contracted to kill the terrorist subjects of the film. The unbelievable part of this film is that the NYPD is less visible than the character played by Virginia Madsen as the bodies begin dropping. Watching Ward make love to one of the terrorist characters and riding off into the sunset with her at the culmination of the film was more than I could stomach. Hollywood writers need a reality check before films like this are of entertainment value.

The reason I watched this movie was because Fred Ward was in it.He seems to always portray an interesting character,and is the type of actor who doesn't seem to be acting.Additionally the supporting cast of Christopher Plummer, and Virginia Madsen both favorites of mine offered promise.Unfortunately the story line unfolded lugubriously. The college radicals who did bad things in the sixties has been overdone. The flashback technique to that era was uninspiring.For me the highlight of the movie turned out to be the song that was sung when the ending credits appeared. Too bad that neither the name of the song nor the singer was identified because the song lyrics were more memorable than any of the movie lines.