Official Secrets (2019)

August 30, 2019 (GB) • Thriller, History, Drama • 112m

Overview

The true story of British intelligence whistleblower Katharine Gun who—prior to the 2003 Iraq invasion—leaked a top-secret NSA memo exposing a joint US-UK illegal spying operation against members of the UN Security Council. The memo proposed blackmailing member states into voting for war.

Director

Gavin Hood

Writers

Gavin Hood, Gregory Bernstein, Sara Bernstein

Top Billed

Keira Knightley

Keywords

london, england washington dc, usa politics biography based on true story iraq war calm whistleblower 2000s admiring

Where to watch

Free / Included

Netflix

Philo

AMC Plus Apple TV Channel

Rent

Buy

Top Billed Cast

Keira Knightley

Katharine Gun

Matt Smith

Martin Bright

Ralph Fiennes

Ben Emmerson

Adam Bakri

Yasar Gun

Matthew Goode

Peter Beaumont

Rhys Ifans

Ed Vulliamy

Indira Varma

Shami Chakrabarti

John Heffernan

James Welch

Conleth Hill

Roger Alton

Jack Farthing

Andy Dumfries

MyAnna Buring

Jasmine

Peter Guinness

TinTin

Chris Reilly

Jerry

Shaun Dooley

John

Ray Panthaki

Kamal Ahmed

Chris Larkin

Nigel Jones

Monica Dolan

Fiona Bygate

Clive Francis

Rear Admiral Nick Wilkinson

Tamsin Greig

Elizabeth Wilmshurst

Hattie Morahan

Yvonne Ridley

Kenneth Cranham

Judge Hyam

Jeremy Northam

Ken MacDonald

Hanako Footman

Nicole Mowbray

Angus Wright

Mark Ellison

Katherine Kelly

Jacqueline Jones, MI6 Agent

Raad Rawi

Mel

Fiona Skinner

Policewoman

Niccy Lin

Mi-Yung

Lindy Whiteford

Edie Rielly

Janie Dee

Jan Clements

Will Barton

Paul Beaver

Martin Bright

Male Journalist

Vanessa Thorpe

Female Journalist

Sophie Duval

Female Custody Sergeant

Stuart Ramsay

Police Officer

Jodie McNee

Duty Solicitor

David Maybrick

Officer Pitt

Simon Rogers

Officer Knowles

Raquel Cassidy

Anne Emmerson

Corinna Wilson

Young Romanian Girl

Brett Allen

Duty Officer

Patrick Moy

Driver

Vinta Morgan

BBC Reporter

Jessica Fostekew

Courtroom Guard

Michael James

Clerk of the Court

Gabrielle Downey

Mrs. Archer

Tony Blair

Self (archive footage) (uncredited)

George W. Bush

Self (archive footage) (uncredited)

Katharine Gun

Self (archive footage) (uncredited)

Colin Powell

Self (archive footage) (uncredited)

Grant Crookes

GCHQ Security

Rene Costa

Iraqi Protestor (uncredited)

Neilesh Ambu

GCHQ Colleague (uncredited)

Joanne James

Home Office Official Doncaster Airport (uncredited)

Stuart Ramsay

Police Officer

Crew

Mark Gordon

Executive Producer

Matt Jackson

Executive Producer

Sara Smith

Executive Producer

Gavin Hood

Executive Producer

Claudia Bluemhuber

Executive Producer

Anne Sheehan

Executive Producer

Hugo Heppell

Executive Producer

Sarada McDermott

Co-Producer

Nadia Stacey

Makeup Designer

Nadia Stacey

Hair Designer

Sarah Franzl

Stunt Coordinator

Nick Chopping

Stunt Driver

Ben Dimmock

Stunt Driver

Paul Heasman

Stunt Driver

Lee Millham

Stunt Driver

Daniel Rawlins

Stunt Driver

Karen Smithson

Stunt Driver

Nancy Bray

Unit Production Manager

Toni Staples

First Assistant Director

Sarah MacFarlane

Second Assistant Director

Jenna Berger

Associate Producer

Craig Mann

Sound Re-Recording Mixer

Jen Ainsley

Standby Art Director

Laura Iwanyckyj

Assistant Set Decoration

Florence Tasker

Graphic Designer

Rosa Nolan-Warren

Art Department Assistant

Jason Bond

Property Master

Bob Charlton

Construction Manager

Ossie McLean

"A" Camera Operator

Ossie McLean

Steadicam Operator

Will Morris

First Assistant "A" Camera

Chris King

Second Assistant "A" Camera

Rupert Hornstein

First Assistant "B" Camera

Aaran Lewis Leach

Second Assistant "B" Camera

Jasmine Orrey

Camera Trainee

Joe Steel

Digital Imaging Technician

San Davey

Script Supervisor

Jim Greenhorn

Production Sound Mixer

Hugh Sherlock

First Assistant Sound Editor

Dan Fontaine

Gaffer

Simon Atherton

Best Boy Electric

Sam Chapman

Electrician

Richard Haigh

Electrician

Robert Gavigan

Rigging Gaffer

Alex Fraser

Key Grip

Adrian Barry

Grip

Robert Viglasky

Still Photographer

Matt Squire

Still Photographer

Nick Wall

Still Photographer

Tapio Salmi

Makeup & Hair

Anna Morena

Makeup & Hair

Dani Casali

Makeup & Hair

Carolyn Cousins

Makeup & Hair

Abby Graves

Makeup & Hair

Helen Bolter

Costume Supervisor

Charles Gillies

Costumer

Charlotte Cox

Production Coordinator

Kelsey Hammond

Production Coordinator

Jamie Hollingworth

Assistant Production Coordinator

Mari Hopkins

Production Secretary

Kristian Turnbull

Production Secretary

Cait Downs

Production Runner

Amy King

Third Assistant Director

Amy King

Second Unit First Assistant Director

Emma Jane Richards

Location Manager

Mark Wilson

Assistant Location Manager

Jonathon Lawrence

Assistant Location Manager

Joe Gradwell

Location Assistant

Ben Arslanian

Production Accountant

Becky Scurrah

Assistant Accountant

Daniel Hamill

Assistant Accountant

Martin Ainscough

Payroll Accountant

Clare Harlow

Casting Associate

Emma Bolton

Casting Assistant

Traci Duran

First Assistant Editor

PJ Harling

Assistant Editor

Chase Keehn

Dialogue Editor

Laura Wiest

Sound Re-Recording Mixer

Luke Nagy

ADR Mixer

Randy Wilson

Foley Supervisor

Randy Wilson

Foley Mixer

John Sievert

Foley Artist

Jason Charbonneau

Foley Artist

Stefan Fraticelli

Foley Artist

Ron Mellegers

Foley Mixer

John Loranger

Foley Editor

Kristi McIntyre

Foley Editor

Justin Helle

Foley Editor

Brent Brooks

Music Editor

Bronson Buskett

Orchestrator

Mark Kilian

Orchestrator

Paul Hepker

Orchestrator

Ben Clements

Art Direction

Andy Watson

Art Direction

Bill Crutcher

Supervising Art Director

David Morison

Set Decoration

Craig Mann

Supervising Sound Editor

Elizabeth Fowler

Producer

Doug Delaney

Colorist

Gavin Hood

Director

Gavin Hood

Screenplay

Florian Hoffmeister

Director of Photography

Megan Gill

Editor

Kate Dowd

Casting

Paul Hepker

Original Music Composer

Mark Kilian

Original Music Composer

Claire Finlay-Thompson

Costume Design

Simon Rogers

Production Design

Ged Doherty

Producer

Melissa Shiyu Zuo

Producer

Gregory Bernstein

Screenplay

Sara Bernstein

Screenplay

Marcia Mitchell

Book

Thomas Mitchell

Book

Matthew E. Butler

Thanks

Reviews

SWITCH.

⭐ 7/10

November 15, 2019

‘Official Secrets’ is an odd duck of a film. As much as it never quite finds its groove, it’s still an often thrilling and genuinely entertaining film, profiling an important figure in the movement against the Iraq War. Even after all this time, it’s still a shock to realise how thoroughly we were lied to, and a film like ‘Official Secrets’ - even with its flaws - at least makes sure that we’re reminded of those lies for the future. It’s just a p… read the rest.

The Movie Diorama

⭐ 8/10

January 17, 2020

Official Secrets leaks its thrills and political deceit through an accurate whistleblowing docudrama. Governments. A democratic selection of individuals to govern a nation with the public’s best interest taken into consideration. Providing foreign communications, budget monitoring and defensive security. Essentially, attempting to make the country more sustainable for its future endeavours. Yet, here we are in the UK, squabbling endlessly over Brexit for months on end with not one single MP physically listening to the voices of the nation. A recurring distractive technique that acts as a vivid reminder of the toxic deceit that the Blair/Bush administration fabricated. Illegally, might I add.

The 2003 Iraq Invasion was a preventable war. An unnecessary crime against humanity. Hood’s docudrama prompts us to relive the political agendas of socialist manipulation, by recounting GCHQ employee Katharine Gun’s life, but more specifically her intent on preventing a war. She leaked a sensitive memo that would expose illegal spy operations by the United States, as Bush attempted to blackmail the UN Security Council into voting for a war he deemed was inevitable. The deaths of millions of Iraqis, military forces and other officials as a result of his dictatorial administration. “Bush’s World” states the placards of London protests. Their blood, on his hands. And whilst the recounting of Gun’s “traitor”-like behaviour is formally structured as with most mechanically inclined political thrillers, Hood manages to competently evoke an emotional response.

See, not all films have to be entertaining. Not all films have to include fictionalised strands for the sake of mainstream enjoyment. Films can be informative. And most of all, they can make you feel. Perhaps the most microscopic output of wonderment or fear. But Official Secrets is another beast. Official Secrets categorically boiled my blood. Shaking my head in disbelief by the events that happened, the overwhelming sense of betrayal flooded my soul. “9/11” was the most dreadful terrorist attack to ever take place. Fact. But Bush’s response was questionable at best, and the events depicted here act as a window into the political deceit that unfolded. Socialist propaganda. I shan’t force my own political viewpoints through, but suffice to say I loathe the Iraq Invasion with a passion. Quite frankly, it was disgusting.

Hood maintains a semi-neutral perspective throughout, allowing audiences to question Gun’s motives as either inspiring or traitorous. Knightley commands every scene with a touch of naivety that progressed Gun into being a representative of the people. Fully acknowledging the infringement the Official Secrets Act, she took it upon herself to clear her conscious. Incredibly inspiring, and well documented by Hood who intricately ramped up the tension when required. Smith, portraying a reporter from The Observer, managed to break away from his infamous sci-fi character and delivered a nuanced yet emergent performance. Fiennes, Ifans and Goode also leading the charge for the excellent British cast.

The Bernstein’s screenplay was tight, taut and tense. Many scenes, particularly when Gun is questioned by Scotland Yard detectives, evoked pure morality and bravery through the concise vocabulary used. Frequently referring to the governmental lies bestowed upon the nation. The various narrative time shifts did produce some inconsistent pacing, but manages to efficiently smooth out the wrinkles shortly afterwards.

Hood never cloaks the story. He attacked Labour’s political agenda head on, without inferring his own perspective. By simply documenting the events, he has created one of the best thrillers of the year that really must be watched. There are no secrets left to hide anymore.

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r96sk

⭐ 9/10

September 8, 2024

Engrossing! <em>'Official Secrets'</em> is terrific.

How about that cast list? So many recognizable (or recognisable, for those using spell check...) faces appear throughout. Keira Knightley's performance is excellent, I am a fan of her from other things (small matter of <em>'Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl'</em> being literally my favourite movie) but I haven't actually seen enough of her other work; yet to see a bad sh… read the rest.