A Dark Truth

"A Dark Truth" from 2012 was coproduced by Andy Garcia and Kim Coates, and they both have lead roles, along with Debra Unger, Forest Whitaker, Eva Longoria, Kevin Durand, and Lara Daans.

We've all seen the old chestnut about the ex-secret agent, operative, art thief, bank robber, gambling cheat, etc., drawn back into one more situation. In this case, it's Jack Begosian (Garcia) who is a former CIA operative. He now has a talk show that deals with big issues.

Bruce Swinton (Coates) runs a large corporation, and the company has run into major problems in a local African community. It has caused incredible bloodshed. The company, naturally, would like to keep this quiet. His sister Morgan (Unger) is also a shareholder, and she wants to know what went on there, but her brother plays it down. She pays Begosian to go and find the eco-terrorist Francisco Francis (Whitaker) to find out.

The company bigwigs have hired someone of their own -- an assassin (Durand) who listens in on conversations Morgan and Begosian has, so that he can kill Francis when he comes to the U.S....and also Bruce's sister and Begosian.

I have no problem believing that corporations are capable of this type of thing -- in fact, they're probably doing it -- in this case, privatizing water rights in underdeveloped countries, which ultimately deprives poor people of water. In fact, I think Bectel is doing something like that now. I want to add that companies like this have probably helped a lot of countries as well, but their ultimate goal is profit. Isn't it always.

This is an excellent subject but it's hastily and sloppily told. Someone on this board said the violence wasn't gratuitous. No, it wasn't gratuitous but in some parts it was non-stop. The subject isn't gone into very deeply, and in the end, the whole thing seems simplistic.

Andy Garcia's character has a family, which is complete filler. Garcia is good but we don't find out that much about him. Forest Whitaker does a good job as Francisco, a gentle man caught in violent circumstances. Eva Longoria plays his wife. It's a small role but she's fine.

I believe Garcia and Coates wanted to tell an important story here - unfortunately, since it only made $5,000, I doubt very many people saw it. Until a "Blood Diamond" or "Syriana" type, expensive film is made about water rights, it's not going to get the right sort of attention.

Ultimately it all leaves one depressed and discouraged. There is so much corruption everywhere. How sad that we can't all treat one another like human beings.

This is the first I've seen of movies on the particular subject of what major international corporations such as Bectel are doing to underdeveloped countries as regards their water. Well done treatment, great cast, excellent acting. No hamming or sensationalism, no gratuitous violence (not that there isn't enough to tell the story). Perhaps other reviewers don't consider water as exciting as blood diamonds or oil or uranium. Perhaps it's not. But it's certainly more important. This fictional presentation of the issue is a good start toward expanding popular awareness of one of the biggest problems facing us in this new century.

Not water shortages, critical though they are. Rather, soulless, nationless corporate greed. Seven out of ten.

This is one of the best corporate scandal movies ever made. This time it involves a Canadian company rather than a standard typical stereotype American one.

Worldwide travelers like me will appreciate the international realistic business environment exposure that includes Canada, South Africa and Ecuador. Plot twists and turns do not disappoint. Scenes look very realistic and portray how real life business and living conditions exist in these parts of the world.

The performances are outstanding. Andy Garcia gives perhaps his best acting performance yet in his career. Forest Whitaker is equally as impressive shining again as an actor playing another convincing international role character.

Please do yourself a favor and watch this movie. It entertains and delivers so it should not be missed.

On the surface, this contemporary assault on corporate maleficence is enough to make its point. But the subject matter is a complicated affair that is lacking in this movie that feels rushed.

Messing about in third world countries and designing destinies built on precious resources and manipulating the environment is a heavy undertaking and the suffering of the population by these all too insensitive entities is a problem that is beginning to take shape and needs to be addressed.

It is attempted here as an action film with scruples and it does have its heart in the right place. But the very low budget and the glossy attempt to intertwine multi-national business interest and investigative journalism is a bit too much to maintain in this noble but shallow effort.

The name Actors are probably here for their moral support and do add a level of authenticity to the cause, but there just isn't enough depth pursued or motivations on either side to justify the broad concept that it is at hand here.

It plays like a short story or a magazine article. Enough to tantalize an interest in the matter but not enough to be at all convincing. It does open up the subject and allows some light if not insight into this very disturbing situation.

A Dark Truth (2012)

* 1/2 (out of 4)

A real misfire of a film about a South American town where a large group of people become sick after sewage gets in their drinking water. To cover up the crime the military executes the survivors but a couple (Forest Whitaker, Eva Longoria) survive and soon an ex-CIA agent (Andy Garcia) is trying to rescue them and get their story out. A DARK TRUTH is a really bad movie in several ways but a lot of the blame has to go to writer-director Damian Lee who just doesn't come up with a very interesting story or a good way to tell it. There are so many problems with the story itself that you have to wonder why he elected to go with a fake story instead of getting something real. This is basically just a message picture where once again greed turns people into evil monsters over a natural resource. The problem is that the film just wants to preach its message without giving us a story or characters to really care about. The film bounces around from the jungles to the high-top people trying to cover up the crime and also gives us flashbacks to the CIA agent working as a radio host giving off various speeches. None of this comes together in any way, shape or form and in the end this movie just ends up dragging to the point where the viewer will be wanting to hit the stop button. It doesn't help that there are some pretty boring directorial choices and especially when it comes to the editing. Just check out the scenes between Garcia and his wife were the edits back and forth between them are so annoying that you just want to scream. I will say that the performances are better than average but then again we've got a group of professionals here. With that said, their work can't come close to saving this turkey.