THE TRUTH/ THE DARK TRUTH

Canada, 2012, 109 minutes, Colour.
Andy Garcia, Forest Whittaker, Kim Coates, Debora Kara Unger, Eva Longoria, Kevin Durand.
Directed by Damian Lee.

The Truth was renamed The Dark Truth for commercial purposes. It was written and directed by Damien Lee, who had mainly written and directed action shows.
The core of the film is a failure of a Canadian Corporation to help the people of Ecuador with a water plant. The infiltration fails with an overload of sewage and flood. This causes an outbreak of typhus which powers in Canada want covered up and the military is sent in to shoot the people from the village. A strong rebel leader was present at the time and helped people escape. He has the means to expose the company.
In the meantime, the film shows the workings of the company, focusing on cover-up and reputation, with the ruthless executive adviser to the CEO, not stopping at killing people in the streets of Toronto.
The other strand concerns an ex-CIA agent who works on a talk back show in Toronto. He is persuaded by the sister of the CEO to go to Ecuador, find out the truth, bring back evidence to expose the truth.
This means that the film is very much a message film, especially in a lot of the talk on the talkback session on radio, and the film return to this at the end. For some audiences the spelling out of the message was too much and meant that the film failed. Others were caught up, especially with indignation at the behaviour of the corporation.
One of the advantages of the film is a strong cast, Forest Whitaker as the leader in the jungle, Andy Garcia as the ex-CIA agent, Deborah Kara Unger as the sister of the CEO and Kim Coates as the CEO himself.
The film paints a strong black picture of greedy corporations whose only concern is success, reputation and the stockholders, rather than ordinary people.

1. The purpose of the film? Message? Entertainment?
2. The initial title and its focus, the radio program the actual truth? The addition of ‘Dark’ to the title? The revelation of the truth? At what cost?
3. The Ecuador settings, filmed in the Dominican Republic? Forests, the town, cities, remoteness? The water issues? The military?
4. The contrast with Canada, the city of Toronto, the office buildings, looming on the skyline, the streets, the action sequences? The musical score?
5. The different strains, the introductions, coming together? Francis, the opening, the military pursuit of the innocent people, Tony Green at the office and his phone calls? The business situation in the office in Toronto? Jack Bogosian and his radio program? The intercutting, connection?
6. The situation in Ecuador, the failure of the water system, the storage, the outbreak of typhus, the lack of water filtration, the people getting sick, dying, the decision to suppress information, the military pursuing the citizens, the massacres? Francis, his character, strong, leading the people, the escape? The panic in the office, the phone calls, Tony Green, his intending to go to the press, taken by the military, interrogation, his being shot?
7. The business world, the board, Bruce and his leadership, Morgan and her life, luxury, the characters, brother and sister? Her going to the function, Renaldo and his approach, the audience seeing Renaldo, his escape, his dead mother? His speech to Morgan, shooting himself, giving her the tape? The effect on Morgan, listening, at her home and the water in the bath, the water motif, going to Bruce, wanting the truth, the effect of the suicide on her?
8. Jack, his radio program, his personality, handling the phone-in people, questions about himself? Truth as the name of his program? His past CIA background? Not fully explained, the information about his examination in court and his admission of lying? His wanting a new life, his wife, his young son, the problems of the son’s staring at the wall?
9. Morgan, her inquiry, the interview with Jack, persuading him to act for her?
10. Doug Calder, his position on the board, as adviser to Bruce, sinister and unscrupulous? Suppressing the truth? PR? Setting up the surveillance on Morgan, on Jack, hiring the expert and surveillance? The bugs, the surveillance cameras, listening to the information, getting the information, giving it back to Calder?
11. The assassin, his past, the information about him, his expertise in surveillance, looking at the program and Francis, the opportunity to shoot, his deciding not to, his killing the assailants? The discussion with Jack and his past? Asking the questions?
12. Jack, the farewell to his wife, the issue of the money, bonding with his son, the chopping of wood, asking him to be the man of the house, promising his love?
13. Jack, in Ecuador, the contact, needing mutual trust? Driving into the country, posing as the photographer, getting the permits, shooting the soldiers? The sequences of the general, his personality, ruthless, wanting more money from Canada, his pursuit? The soldiers and their brutality?
14. Jack being taken, the bashing of the guide? The angry man regretting it? Francis, his wife and children? The community, Francis as leader and saving them? Francis and Jack and their talks, the past, Jack and his feelings of guilt, imprisoning Francis? Francis and his past, born in San Francisco, building up the movement in Latin America, the role of the CIA, his time in jail, writing the book, its publication under a pseudonym, its influence, Francis seeing it as an opportunity? Visiting his wife’s family, present at the typhus outbreak, saving the people? His wife, character, trusting herm her lack of trust in Jack? Tough and firing the guns?
15. The pursuit through the jungle, the shootings and deaths? Returning to save the community and mowing down the soldiers?
16. The truck, the escape, arrival in Canada?
17. Bruce, the South African deal, the situation, the time limits, the need for cash, talking to the South African connection? Calder, his going into action, asking Bruce about killing Morgan? The plan to take out Jack and the group? Bruce and his silence and consent? His motivation, family, greed and power? The influence of his father founding the company? The previous good the company had done, reputation, the stakeholders?
18. The siege and the street, the cars, the shooters, the sniper, calling the shots? The group being saved? Francis wounded, hospital? The plan to kill him in hospital?
19. Jack returning home, reunited with his family?
20. Bruce, the situation, going to the holiday home, phoning Morgan, shooting himself?
21. Francis and Jack on air, the listeners calling in, the explanations?
22. The heavy message aspects of the opening and the end, the worthy message, dominating the action and the communication of the message through the story and action?