We’re guessing life would be easier if people had appropriate names meaning that all those would be ‘ influencers’ would go by the name of Unemployable Wretch or similar. Reality Winner really is the name of the US whistle blower who leaked a load of documents about Russian interference in the US election that saw the American people elect a tango faced toby jug as President. However her name in retrospect turns out to be somewhat ironic with her ending up arrested, denied bail and serving the longest prison sentence ever for such an offence.
Based on the stage play, ‘Is this a room?’ with Reality Winner (Sydney Sweeney) a translator for the NSA and arriving home with her groceries to be met by a swarm of FBI agents led by Garrick (Josh Hamilton) & Taylor (Marchant Davis) who casually chat to her on the front lawn. It’s all pretty low key with the script directly using the transcription of the interrogation that was recorded by both investigators on wrist worn devices. There’s no good cop / bad cop here and it’s all about them claiming to want to clear up any confusion with a few questions. Initially Winner, open eyed , fair haired and only too content to assist but as it unfolds its clear she knows what she‘s done and is calmly resigned to her outcome.
Much of the film is set in her sparse basement and Reality as a film never escapes its stage origins but the film does reinforce her isolation using single shots of her alone in a sterile room under the glare of strip lighting without legal representation (her own choice not to have any). As a film Reality couldn’t be more stripped down but it works brilliantly with what is ultimately a three hander that only uses the occassional flashback and the use of redacted transcripts on screen.
Sweeney is excellent underplaying it never revealing anything in much the same way as the two agents. All parties are calm and nothing like the histrionic rage fuelled interrogations normally seen in such fictionalized films and it’s what gives Reality an air of reality in so far as this is the likely manner that professional agents employ choosing the moment to reveal their cards one by one making this an engrossing and compelling experience.
related feature: Directing Benedict Cumberbatch – director Dominic Cooke takes us behind the scenes of true life story ‘The Courier’
related feature: What happens if you try to film a true life story……
Here’s the Reality trailer……
