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Shill or be Killed

Gaining a basic understanding of the ties allegedly connecting the CIA to mid-90s drug trafficking, international arms dealing, and large-scale political machinations driven by Reagan-era cold war paranoia quickly becomes a daunting and bewildering task.  If you really want to educate yourself you could try sitting down with a copy of the 1989 Kerry Committee report, which found that the CIA had been operating outside of congressional authorization throughout the 80s to arm Nicaraguan rebels using the proceeds of illegal drug trading.  Ok, that's an egregious oversimplification, but if you decide to do the reading yourself you're going to need a couple of weeks of vacation, tons of self-discipline, and your own personal blend of Starbucks/Red Bull/NoDoz, because the Kerry report runs nearly a thousand pages and is likely, in the tradition of all good government reporting, dry as hell.  Luckily, "Kill the Messenger" proves that the experience of watching someone else trying to figure out the story of the CIA's subrosa political meddling and subsequent complicity in the US crack epidemic is far more efficient and entertaining - and undoubtedly healthier too.

"Messenger" tells the story of journalist Gary Webb, who was writing for the San Jose Mercury News in the 1990s when he picked up the threads of a story about a California-based drug ring with ties to rebel groups in Nicaragua.  In the film, Webb, played by Jeremy Renner ("The Hurt Locker", "The Town"), is tipped off that a prosecution witness in an upcoming drug trial is a secret government informant.  He begins investigating, and the names and clues start flying fast and furious - so much so that it's initially difficult to understand the facts that are being established or how one piece of information relates to another.  The film's not spoon-feeding any info to the audience at this point; viewers may find themselves fighting to figure out what is going on and who's connected to who, but this has the interesting effect of replicating a reporter's experience in the initial pursuit of a story.

Things begin to fall into place as Webb meets an attorney whose client Ricky Ross (Michael K. Williams, "The Wire") had been a key player in bringing crack cocaine to South Central Los Angeles in the 1980s, through his connection to one Danilo Blandon, who turns out to be... the aforementioned secret government informant.  It's convoluted and confusing, but the bones of a conspiracy are exposed at a trial where Blandon is providing testimony under the glowering guidance of federal prosecutor Russell Dodson (Barry Pepper).  By feeding questions to the defense attorney, Webb is able to cleverly turn Blandon into a source for his story.  Soon he's off to Nicaragua, bribing his way into a prison visit with notorious drug kingpin Norwin Meneses (Andy Garcia) and being menaced by gun-wielding locals when he checks out a covert airstrip.  But sticking his neck out pays off, and soon Webb is putting the finishing touches on "Dark Alliance", a three-part expose for the Mercury News that connects the CIA to drug trafficking and, by extension, the nation's crack epidemic.  He's pleased with his work, his editor and publisher support him, his wife is proud of him, and the accolades begin to arrive.

But the good times are short-lived.  Rival papers such as the LA Times can't believe they've been scooped, and they go to work to discredit Webb's research.  Soon the national media is part of the backlash, and of course the CIA denies all of Webb's allegations.  It's frightening to see how quickly and efficiently the machine gears up and prepares to ruin the journalist by shifting the focus of his story away from the CIA and sensationalizing the "drugs in urban neighborhoods" angle, and casting damning doubts on his integrity as a journalist.

"Kill the Messenger" tells an important story about truth and persistence and our ability to trust the integrity of our political and legal systems.  It's also a showcase for some strong performances, beginning with Mr. Renner in the lead.  The innate likeability that anchors much of the actor's work is on display here, and his portrayal of the persistent and persecuted journalist effectively maintains the subtle line between being righteous and becoming self-righteous.  And he's backed in this endeavor by a  deep bench of acting talent: Oliver Platt, Michael Sheen, and Richard Schiff all join the aforementioned Mr. Garcia, Mr. Pepper, and Mr. Williams in roles that vary in length from supporting to drop-ins, and there are plenty of other familiar faces along the way.  The only false note comes with Ray Liotta's cameo as a CIA "black ops" agent who confirms all of Webb's assertions about the agency's involvement in Nicaragua but refuses to go on the record as a source.  His brief appearance seems self-consciously portentous and feels like a monologue excerpted from an acting showcase.  In a film that's framed as no-frills realism, this oddly-backlit passage has a jarring effect and calls unnecessary attention to the production and direction that have been seamlessly effective up to that point.

That aside, "Kill the Messenger" is consistently entertaining and, occasionally, fascinating - and Mr. Renner may be a stealthy contender in the Oscar race on the basis of his performance.  Even if that's not the case, the film still sheds much-needed light on a shadowy chapter in recent American history and further vindicates Gary Webb's work as a journalist - and those are both worthy messages.