アメリカで実際に起きた、権威ある“THE NEW REPUBLIC”誌の記者によるねつ造事件を本作が長編デビューとなるビリー・レイ監督が映画化。一人の記者の成功と転落をリアルに描く。『スター・ウォーズ エピソード2/クローンの攻撃』のヘイデン・クリステンセンが優等生の若者を熱演。『ブラウン・バニー』のクロエ・セヴィニーらと共に瑞々しい演技を見せる。米国のジャーナリズムの暗部に斬り込んだ見応えある意欲作。
製作費: $6,000,000 (9億円)
興行収入: $2,944,752 (4億円)
推定収支: $-3,055,248 (-5億円)
※製作費・興行収入はTMDBのデータを参照しています。収支は(興行収入 - 製作費)で算出したFindKey独自の推定値であり、広告宣伝費や諸経費は含まれません (1ドル=150円換算)。
監督: Billy Ray
脚本: Billy Ray / Buzz Bissinger
音楽: Mychael Danna
制作: Adam Merims / クレイグ・バウムガルテン / Gaye Hirsch
撮影監督: マンディ・ウォーカー
制作会社: Cruise/Wagner Productions / Baumgarten Merims Productions / Forest Park Pictures
Story portrayed as interestingly as possible. Christensen well-cast as someone reprehensible.
Long before Donald Trump became obsessed with fake news, there was Stephen Glass (here played by Hayden Christensen). Here is an ambitious and creative man who successfully manipulated the verification processes at Washington DC's prestigious "New Republic" magazine leading it to publish over twenty long form articles that had no basis in fact. It's only when the editor of a competing online outlet questions one of his own journalists - Adam Peneberg (Steve Zahn) as to why he didn't get the story, that some detailed investigations into his sources start to reveal a tissue of fantasy. The half lies and lies he tells grow into whoppers as his own editor Chuck Lane (Peter Sarsgaard) uses his own considerable investigative journalism skills and soon the young shyster is on the ropes. Christensen is good here - not phrase I will say often, and Billy Ray manages to makes us squirm a little as we feel the pressure mount on this serial journalistic fantasist. The fact that even his friends take him on face value, and are prepared to resign if he is ultimately fired proves just how much we take on trust until presented with a different fait-accompli! Certainly better than I was expecting.
