"The Truth Lies Within"

Author(s): Maia
Location: LA

"The Truth Lies Within"

Written and Directed by Paul Greengrass

Main Cast

Ryan Reynolds as Dr. Malcolm Vaughn
Aishwarya Rai as Fatima Vaughn
Nick Nolte as Dr/General Edward Lazarus
Miranda Otto as Dr. Catherine Brown
Alan Arkin as Secretary of Homeland Security
Angela Bassett as US Secretary of State

Tagline: "There is no truth without belief"

Synopsis: Washington, D.C.

- Malcolm Vaughn (Reynolds) is a rising psychiatrist for the department of Homeland Security. Dr. Edward Lazarus, his former college professor and now immediate boss, recruited him almost three years ago to join his anti-terrorism research team. Vaughn quickly earned recognition from his peers and Lazarus himself; yet he was constantly overlooked for leadership positions within the department:

The years turned Vaughn into a frustrated and self-centered worker but his innate talent for studying fear earned him the respect of everyone around him… Lazarus was satisfied with Vaughn's work, and so were his superiors. Vaughn was sent to Tehran (Iran) for research on Islam and there he met Fatima (Rai), a local educator. After three months of fieldwork, Vaughn returned to America with Fatima. They were in love and they married shortly after their arrival. Fatima changed Vaughn and they were both happy. They dealt with judgment and ignorance from his family and friends but he didn’t care. In the other hand, Fatima had a hard time adjusting to the American lifestyle and she was tormented by the disapproval towards her (especially the one coming from her conservative parents back in Iran).

- Just when Fatima reveals her early pregnancy to him, Vaughn notices something is wrong on Homeland Security…

- When he discovers that his superiors, including his mentor Lazarus, have been using him to develop and spread mass terror campaigns among the US population, he is determined to expose the truth before a false RED code alert and a staged terrorist attack detonate a new war on the Middle East…

- [Spoiler Alert] However, when Vaughn is blocked by the manipulated media and most civilians have been already brainwashed; his last resource is try to sabotage the attack himself. Aided by Catherine Brown, a long-time friend and the only colleague who believes him, Vaughn will do whatever it takes to stop the attack... but can one man beat a government?

What the Press would say:

Is it happening before or after 9/11? Director Paul Greengrass cautiously hides this essential piece of information for most of the running time of his semi-fictional/fully vivid drama “The Truth Lies Within”. Greengrass’ emotional prose immerses us into the cruel reality of Malcolm Vaughn, a perfectly written “hero” surrounded by many personal and professional struggles; a man who has experienced rejection (if not directly towards him, towards the person he loves the most) and a professional who has experienced disappointment (by not being able to take his own career choices).

When Malcolm realizes what is at stake for Fatima and his unborn child if the staged attack happens, Greengrass gives his character an empathetic motivation behind his irreparable choices. Ryan Reynolds (proving wrong all the naysayers who initially doomed the project when his casting was announced) humanizes Vaughn to the most realistic level possible; Reynolds’s portrayal of a bright but hardly perfect man is the perfect mixture of work-space arrogance and intimate kindness. Reynolds is particularly passionate when he understands the effect the staged attack will have on his wife and their future (it’s on that moment of conscious sacrifice when Reynolds makes his character wins us over and when the caliber of his magnificent performance shows at full). International actress Aishwarya Rai is a revelation as Fatima: the film’s most symbolic character. Rai’s Fatima is the catalyst of his husband’s actions but she is also given a soul of her own, Fatima is tormented by her inability to integrate: her conservative parents disapprove her marriage and her “liberal” lifestyle, yet she is discriminated by some of her husband’s relatives and friends. Rai conveys many emotions with just one look or a grin, her character is the quiet type but she needs no words in front of the man she loves.

A strong supporting turn from Nick Nolte as Vaughn’s mentor is also remarkable. Nolte understands his character’s motivations and he makes sure everyone watching is able to dislike Lazarus but still, respect him and his choices. Substantial cameos by Angela Bassett and Alan Arkin bring a sense of realism to the film during the moments Greengrass deliberately wants us to fantasize with a different America.

At the core, beyond the political and social undertones, Greengrass’ work is far more sensitive and heartbreaking than anything he’s done before; “The Truth Lies Within” seems to be a study on terrorism and mass fear but if you take a closer look, you’ll realize is instead an emotional study about the fear of knowing the truth: the one that lies within ourselves and the one we are most afraid to admit…

How does "The Truth Lies Within" ends? Just watch your 6 o’clock news today and you’ll see nothing has changed… not yet.

Consider this mesmerizing drama for the following awards:

Best Picture (AMPAS)
Best Picture – Drama (HFPA)
Best Ensemble (SAG)
Best Actor - Reynolds
Best Supporting Actress - Rai
Best Supporting Actor - Nolte
Best Original Screenplay