Rating of
3/4
One Falsehood can lead to lots more!
MovieAddict - wrote on 04/26/12
A fascinating study of journalistic malpractice that follows the true story of a young college journalist Stephen Glass (played by Hayden Christensen) who goes to work for a Washington magazine known for factual and political articles and is later accused of falsifying his news articles. While the story is relatively simple, a lot of tension is generated as the well liked writer tries to wriggle out of sticky situations when he is discovered by one of the editors Chuck Lane (played by Peter Sarsgaad). Chuck begins to backtrack most of Glass's stories, after receiving knowledge from a competing newspaper that implies Glass's articles are packed with lies at best, and completely fabricated at worst. The supporting cast Hank Azaria, Steve Zahn, Rosario Dawson and Chloë Sevigny are also great as the minor characters.
The best scenes are the final verbal battles between the unyielding, professional Lane and the increasingly pleading and desperate Glass. There's quite a lot of tension between the two, nicely complicated by our initial sympathies for Glass and Lane's slowly building dread when he realizes what's going on and come to grips with what needs to be done.
