Official Secrets: Gavin Hood navigates the intricacies of this whistleblower story very efficiently; the storytelling is conventional, but it is an important story (in particular and thematically, as it argues against abuse of power by governments), so that choice feels justified. The film presents a large cast, and the performances are solid; Keira Knightley is very good as the woman at the center of it all, displaying the solid core and good range that the character requires; Matt Smith, Ralph Fiennes, and Rhys Ifans are also stand-outs (Ifans’ performance is in a louder tone, showier than the others). The film is well (but ordinarily) shot by cinematographer Florian Hoffmeister; the editing, done by Megan Gill, gives the film a good flow and allows the story to unfurl very clearly.