A Dark Truth (2012) User Reviews

A tad disappointing...

[gonci-562-727838 · 6/10 · 22 December 2012]

I generally agree with other reviews of this film in terms of weak writing and lugubrious direction. I am rating it higher primarily because it actually has real actors in the cast, hence you can watch it without having a gag-reflex. Also, the cinematography was better than average in this genre.

While there was nothing original in the plot structure, the moral ambiguity expressed through several key characters was somewhat refreshing...though, not fully resolved.

Sadly, the fine actor, Andy Garcia, is not properly exploited in this film. He comes across less than fully dimensional. The director went to a gold mine and barely got silver.

In the end, not a waste of the viewer's time, but more an appetizer than an entrée.

The subject matter will rile fair minded people

[JohnRayPeterson · 6/10 · 18 November 2013]

Though I'm quite familiar with the water wars, as they're called, in South America, I still wanted to see how the likes of Andy Garcia and Forest Whitaker would fair in this Canadian production. The director Damian Lee, who also co-wrote the script, is not a newcomer, but has yet to deliver a film I'd rate above five(out of 10); this one will rate a six from me, because I liked the subject matter and actors Garcia and Whitaker. I'll give Damian Lee credit for the overall results, delivers some action and covers all the basis, but it doesn't quite shine. Then again it did not have a big budget, I'm sure and was not marketed to a very wide audience.

The part where Morgan Swinton, played by Deborah Kara Unger, witnesses a suicide protest of a water war victim (lost his whole family) who blew his brain out a few feet from her should have startled me but didn't. That character is supposed to be so moved by what she saw that she turns against the company she and her brother control; the brother Bruce Swinton, played rather well by veteran actor Kim Coates, has to make cruel decisions and does. Those parts of the plot were not as convincing as I hoped they'd be.

Andy Garcia plays Jack Begosian, a retired CIA operative riddled with guilt; he satisfactorily depicts that and of course he's the hero. I did like the sub-plot dealing with his family, wife and son. Forest Whitaker and Eva Longoria had interesting roles but the action wife Mia Francis, played by Longoria seemed quite far fetched, given there wasn't much background explaining where she got her skills, just those of Whitaker's character Francisco Francis.

The evil police and military, partnered with the big corporation vs the poor peasants of Ecuador (the real events happened in Chile and Bolivia) are the part of the plot most believable because they are based on real events. I highly recommend you read about Water Wars and watch the documentaries Blue Gold and Flow to get an appreciation of the water wars that have occurred and that will again. If you're not into that sort of thing, a compromise may be this film, but try to get it on cable or Netflix or something if you can; it would be okay as well if your local DVD store (any left?) has it on special for rental at .99cents.

Vigorous, ruthlessly bloody, choppy and glib, actually...skip it.

[secondtake · 5/10 · 20 September 2013]

A Dark Truth (2012)

An ambitious movie, intending more than it achieves. At stake is a critique of the corporate cornering of water rights in the Third World. This is a real problem, and deserves better than this by Hollywood, if a big movie is the way to go about it. (A far better attempt, and a far better movie, is "También la lluvia", or "Even the Rain," set in Bolivia and starring Gael García Bernal.)

The really great actor here is Forest Whitaker, who has a fairly small role as a South American rebel leader with a true conscience. The lead actor is the ever-struggling (if sincere) Andy Garcia, who is a retired South American CIA man with a quasi-political radio talk show to keep him and his troubled wife and child alive and very well.

You can smell the connection that has to be made here, between Whitaker's jungle world of righteous rebellion and Garcia's safely withdrawn world of buried political misdeeds. The third world (narratively) is the big water purification company itself, with a slightly evil corporate head and his slow-to-wake sister who finally realizes the corporation their father started is corrupt and murderous. This third leg of the triangle is complex, and a bit unconvincing with its too-easy array of killers and corporate spies and Ecuadorian accomplices all a cell phone call away.

I might make clear here the movie is not a dud but it's very troubled, both formally (editing and writing issues, mostly) and in terms of its purported content. That is, ultra-violent scenes of mass murder are used over and over again to press home how ruthless and bloody the corporate heads are, safe in their glassed offices in Toronto. (Yes, the corporation is Canadian, which I guess is a nice novelty since Canadians are so famously nice.) The actual problem of water use and clean water supplies for the villages shown is never explored. Instead we have people running and getting gunned down with weirdly nonsensical abandon. A lot.

The more you dwell on this the more you realize the movie makers are as evil as the corporate bosses they are portraying. They use this horrifying cinematic mayhem to draw you in and make you (in theory) sympathize with the rebels, and with the ordinary people who just want to live and have clean water. Well, of course! So then we get back to Garcia drawn to the jungle to single-handedly (with a revolver) save these rebels from the advancing army troops. (Yes, Andy Garcia plays the Matt Damon character here, which is really quite funny at times, and not on purpose.)

So eventually you see through all the seriousness to a pretty poorly cobbled together movie with lots of overlapping plots and some very very fast solutions to messy problems (like getting the wanted rebel leader out of Ecuador on an airplane without a blink). I'd skip this mess for lots of reasons. And go see "Even the Rain" with its much gentler flaws.

(some) Can't handle the truth

[kosmasp · 5/10 · 10 July 2013]

The casting of the movie is incredible. Which is always the case when a message is being delivered. It's not too much on the nose here or at least it is incorporated into the story quite good. The actors you know do what they can. Eva Longoria might have the least to do (especially considering her name/weight). It's nice seeing some old familiar faces in a movie, where they try to build character.

There is quite a bit of cliché in this, but you wouldn't/couldn't expect otherwise. Kevin Durand has a great little role in it and he makes his decision, no matter how small or big they are, actually work. Apart from that it's mostly the Andy Garcia show, with some added drama by Kara Unger and Forrest Whitacker. A nice little drama, with a lot of action in it.

An Alarm Bell......Now That Your Awake

[LeonLouisRicci · 6/10 · 3 January 2013]

On the surface, this contemporary assault on corporate maleficence is enough to make its point. But the subject matter is a complicated affair that is lacking in this movie that feels rushed.

Messing about in third world countries and designing destinies built on precious resources and manipulating the environment is a heavy undertaking and the suffering of the population by these all too insensitive entities is a problem that is beginning to take shape and needs to be addressed.

It is attempted here as an action film with scruples and it does have its heart in the right place. But the very low budget and the glossy attempt to intertwine multi-national business interest and investigative journalism is a bit too much to maintain in this noble but shallow effort.

The name Actors are probably here for their moral support and do add a level of authenticity to the cause, but there just isn't enough depth pursued or motivations on either side to justify the broad concept that it is at hand here.

It plays like a short story or a magazine article. Enough to tantalize an interest in the matter but not enough to be at all convincing. It does open up the subject and allows some light if not insight into this very disturbing situation.

You have to wonder how junk like this gets made.

[hairy_buddah · 3/10 · 4 December 2012]

There are some decent high profile actors in this turkey. Do they really need the money that badly? Are they doing a favor for a friend - "Hey, my kid is directing this movie, would you be in it for me? I'll do one for your next year . . . . " Maybe the whole project looks different before the cameras actually start rolling.

The direction in this is terrible. The pace is ridiculously show and the look is very stagey. "You two stand over there and take turns reading these sentences."

It is filled with self-important, self-righteous, overwrought people who have all been horribly wronged by an evil corporation and a corrupt government. Woah. That's original. Really hard hitting stuff. Corporations are evil. We would be so much better off in the world without them.

Too bad. I was looking forward in particular to see Kim Coates outside of his Sons of Anarchy role, Andy Garcia is a good actor, and I am a huge fan of Forest Whitaker. But this thing was dumb, dumb, dumb. Poorly written, poorly directed. Decent production values. It looks professional. That's the only reason I gave it the three stars.

A Dark Trurh

[jennifer_bun · 7/10 · 28 January 2013]

POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT: Okay, so I just watched this movie. I was pleasantly surprised. From the horrible reviews, I thought it would be the worst movie I've ever seen. Actually, I didn't think it was that bad. Was it the best movie I've ever seen? No, but it wasn't the worst, either.

Let's get the negative out of the way first. The family subplot for Begosian added nothing. I think it would have been better if they had spent the time exploring the relationship between Bruce and Morgan Swinton (Deborah Unger and Kim Coates). Were there plausibility issues. Sure, but isn't that a problem with all films. Another "dark truth" is that reality can be boring, especially with heavy topics like this. The acting was universally excellent.

Finally,(and this is the reason I give it a high score) I was CLUELESS about this topic before I saw this, and I'm convinced this is a large reason it was created, to publicize the issue. On this they were successful.

And oh yeah, I never saw the end coming.

The only problem I have is also warning to parents. This is very violent film. Much more violent than I thought it would be. .

A Dark Turkey

[Michael_Elliott · 2 January 2013]

A Dark Truth (2012)

* 1/2 (out of 4)

A real misfire of a film about a South American town where a large group of people become sick after sewage gets in their drinking water. To cover up the crime the military executes the survivors but a couple (Forest Whitaker, Eva Longoria) survive and soon an ex-CIA agent (Andy Garcia) is trying to rescue them and get their story out. A DARK TRUTH is a really bad movie in several ways but a lot of the blame has to go to writer-director Damian Lee who just doesn't come up with a very interesting story or a good way to tell it. There are so many problems with the story itself that you have to wonder why he elected to go with a fake story instead of getting something real. This is basically just a message picture where once again greed turns people into evil monsters over a natural resource. The problem is that the film just wants to preach its message without giving us a story or characters to really care about. The film bounces around from the jungles to the high-top people trying to cover up the crime and also gives us flashbacks to the CIA agent working as a radio host giving off various speeches. None of this comes together in any way, shape or form and in the end this movie just ends up dragging to the point where the viewer will be wanting to hit the stop button. It doesn't help that there are some pretty boring directorial choices and especially when it comes to the editing. Just check out the scenes between Garcia and his wife were the edits back and forth between them are so annoying that you just want to scream. I will say that the performances are better than average but then again we've got a group of professionals here. With that said, their work can't come close to saving this turkey.

Tedium

[MovieloverIreland · 4/10 · 2 January 2013]

Problems.

1 : Direction. Damien lee director of such classics as Ski School, Inner Action and who can forget the much loved ….er…..Abraxas, Guardian of the Universe . So in such safe hands what can we expect from this movie?. The answer is uninspired direction, miscasting, and the feel of a TV show pilot that would never go to full series.

2: Plot. This plot concerns an evil water corporation whose goal is ultimately to privatise water trying to cover up mass murder in Ecuador after something goes wrong with water there making the locals ill. So instead of calling in the WHO, the local General kills everyone while Forest Whitaker escapes and former CIA agent turned radio host Andy Garcia has to rescue him and get him back to states to expose big bad corporation before they are assassinated by Kevin Durand. Why would a retired radio host want to rescue a guy in Ecuador you ask? Contrived script I answer. Turns out years earlier Garcia had Whitaker incarcerated. But don't worry, Whitaker doesn't mind because he wrote a book in prison and thanks Garcia for it.. Despite the fact its said Whitaker was in a really tough prison, why would Whitaker thank him for that? Perhaps he enjoyed the daily buggery?.

3: Eva Longoria. Why is she in this film? Shes in no way memorable, distracting if anything. When I saw her first I said "hey that's that chick from Desperate Housewives" Then she started firing a machine gun and I laughed out loud, hard to take Gabrielle Solis firing a machine gun seriously.

4: Kim Coates. Now I like this guy, I think he's a good actor but here he's so obvious and dull that I found his scenes painful and predictable.

5 : Too many chocolate cookies. Andy Garcia has clearly had too many, suck in that gut dude.

Highlights.

1: The shootout. Decent gun fight toward the end with Kevin Durand's turn coat sniping the attackers while Garcia scuttles about and tries to defend a wounded Whitaker.

2: Forest Whitaker. Even in bland movies like this Whitaker brings gravitas.

3: There's a road block scene where Garcia is trying to calmly negotiate his way through then takes out a gun and shoots down three army guys in rapid succession. Caught me by surprise…by that I mean the loud gunfire woke me up. Overall : very bland and should be watched by those who are easily pleased by generic things like flavourless ice cream

A Current Story Which Needs Telling

[Scott7411 · 7/10 · 2 January 2013]

This is the first I've seen of movies on the particular subject of what major international corporations such as Bectel are doing to underdeveloped countries as regards their water. Well done treatment, great cast, excellent acting. No hamming or sensationalism, no gratuitous violence (not that there isn't enough to tell the story). Perhaps other reviewers don't consider water as exciting as blood diamonds or oil or uranium. Perhaps it's not. But it's certainly more important. This fictional presentation of the issue is a good start toward expanding popular awareness of one of the biggest problems facing us in this new century.

Not water shortages, critical though they are. Rather, soulless, nationless corporate greed. Seven out of ten.

A dark truth....let me be honest, this movie stinks!

[dgefroh · 4/10 · 16 April 2013]

Talk about convoluted, slow, plodding, boring to tears, predictable, and a complete waste of time...then you're talking about "A dark truth". I was hoping there were some redeeming values or at else something I could say positive about this movie, and I'm hard pressed to come up with anything. I guess one good thing was it lasted less than 2 hours, does that count? I'm often amazed why decent actors and actresses take on roles in movies like this where the scripts are so weak, the story is boring, and the writing is pathetic junk, I guess it must be for the love of money because there could be no other reason for a decent actor to be in this one. This movie makes two in row for Eva Longoria, her retched performance in "The Baytown Outlaws" along with this masterful crafted acting job puts her in the truly "Desperate housewife" needs money category. I guess maybe she really can't act and is just another pretty face in Hollywood, judging by the roles she accepts "desperate" defines her career. One last thing for you to consider, the dialog in this movie is nothing less than ridiculous, and it's like the director told the actors to deliver their lines in slow motion. That may seem like a silly comment until you actually try to watch this film, I guarantee you'll know what I mean after trying to view this sleep induced attempt.

a great, but predictably underrated film

[robtromp · 10/10 · 16 April 2013]

This is one of those films that was obviously a labor of love for many of the folks involved. There are some incredible performances, and a great and believable story here. It's the kind of story that deserves to be a cherished bedtime story of the modern age - one of knights in tarnished armor who do what is within their power to resist the relentless pull of greed, selfishness, and fear - and surprisingly live to tell the tale, on a broadcast network no less! One only prays the hope conveyed here is realistic.

I am amazed that reviews of under 10 lines are not accepted. It seems that IMDb has decreed that brevity is not the soul of wit, and only when we drone on and on and on about our particular spin can we be deemed worthy of immortalization in their hallowed database. Thus having achieved immortality, I bid thee, "Adieu".

Better than anticipated

[blanche-2 · 7/10 · 3 February 2016]

"A Dark Truth" from 2012 was coproduced by Andy Garcia and Kim Coates, and they both have lead roles, along with Debra Unger, Forest Whitaker, Eva Longoria, Kevin Durand, and Lara Daans.

We've all seen the old chestnut about the ex-secret agent, operative, art thief, bank robber, gambling cheat, etc., drawn back into one more situation. In this case, it's Jack Begosian (Garcia) who is a former CIA operative. He now has a talk show that deals with big issues.

Bruce Swinton (Coates) runs a large corporation, and the company has run into major problems in a local African community. It has caused incredible bloodshed. The company, naturally, would like to keep this quiet. His sister Morgan (Unger) is also a shareholder, and she wants to know what went on there, but her brother plays it down. She pays Begosian to go and find the eco-terrorist Francisco Francis (Whitaker) to find out.

The company bigwigs have hired someone of their own -- an assassin (Durand) who listens in on conversations Morgan and Begosian has, so that he can kill Francis when he comes to the U.S....and also Bruce's sister and Begosian.

I have no problem believing that corporations are capable of this type of thing -- in fact, they're probably doing it -- in this case, privatizing water rights in underdeveloped countries, which ultimately deprives poor people of water. In fact, I think Bectel is doing something like that now. I want to add that companies like this have probably helped a lot of countries as well, but their ultimate goal is profit. Isn't it always.

This is an excellent subject but it's hastily and sloppily told. Someone on this board said the violence wasn't gratuitous. No, it wasn't gratuitous but in some parts it was non-stop. The subject isn't gone into very deeply, and in the end, the whole thing seems simplistic.

Andy Garcia's character has a family, which is complete filler. Garcia is good but we don't find out that much about him. Forest Whitaker does a good job as Francisco, a gentle man caught in violent circumstances. Eva Longoria plays his wife. It's a small role but she's fine.

I believe Garcia and Coates wanted to tell an important story here - unfortunately, since it only made $5,000, I doubt very many people saw it. Until a "Blood Diamond" or "Syriana" type, expensive film is made about water rights, it's not going to get the right sort of attention.

Ultimately it all leaves one depressed and discouraged. There is so much corruption everywhere. How sad that we can't all treat one another like human beings.

A self-satisfied film lacking cohesion and conviction

[ralphslater · 2/10 · 23 March 2013]

This is a lack-lustre movie in which a courageous former CIA man turned talk show host takes on a giant corporation and a rogue army. The hero would do credit to a Marvel Comics character with guns that never run out of bullets and providing a body count of mind-numbing numbers. He aims to ensure that the truth is known about evil machinations of the villains but the truth is that the film is packed full of clichés...from the characters to the detailed plot. A climatic shoot-out in which an unexplained group of assassins suddenly appear in a fleet of vehicles is grafted on to the story without rhyme or reason. Nor is there any clear explanation as to why the original lone assassin decided to kill off his mystery rivals...

Why so many bad reviews for such compelling movie!?!

[sadsayeed · 2 March 2013]

Before I watched this movie, came to IMDb to see what's it about, & found so many bad reviews. is it always only about the "Artistry"?! However, the story seemed interesting. then after watching the movie, i felt the issue addressed in it is admirably compelling. reminded me about the Bolivian water crisis conflicted with Bechtel.

Regardless of how some scenes or characters were unnecessary or awful, the situation that was portrayed in this movie was very real & unfortunate in many parts of the world.

Moreover, it doesn't only discuss about the natural resources struggles, or greedy corporate oppressions & cover-ups, but it also gives some insights about philosophy behind 'why we do what we do' within individual & social mindsets.

People need to know at first (this movie can be a first step), & then they actually can consider it as an important food for thought. i strongly recommend others to watch this movie first before even believing any of the reviews (bad or good) said.

I give it 9/10.

What a waste of talent!

[Robertronin · 4/10 · 25 December 2012]

A-List Actors in a B-Movie, what a waste of talent. Damian Lee is not well known for directing, writing or as Producer of good Movies. How is it possible that Forest Whitaker and Andy Garcia even know Lee? And how come they play in this movie? Only explanation they must have lost a bet or something. I mean we have seen this from Cuba Gooding Jr. Best Actor in a Supporting Role 1996 and since then played in several disappointing Films. Same is true for Nicolas Cage, Oscar-winning actor who played several B- Movies. And now Garcia and Whitaker. Don't actors have agents? And shouldn't they protect them from movies like this? There are already too much bad movies out there, there is no need to do more.

Just A Good Movie

[jeomo · 6/10 · 12 April 2013]

I watched this movie as a movie. I didn't see it as propaganda for...whatever, nor did I confuse it with a documentary.

As a movie, I enjoyed it. I thought it was primarily a human story about two people who regretted actions in their past and were struggling to move forward from there, wanting to do better, but not entirely sure how. It was clearly done on a budget, but the story kept my interest, the characters had depth, and the acting was well above average. If you are looking for an action-packed, fast-paced thriller, you will probably be disappointed, but it does have action and it does have thrills, and the story moves along at a reasonable pace.

Be aware of the propaganda content

[tomnel-1 · 1/10 · 11 May 2013]

Whatever vices or virtues this movie has, it is a paean of really vicious hate propaganda against free market economics. The corporation in the story is blamed for an atrocious massacre which is actually committed by the Ecuadorian army, for a typhus outbreak and for the usual, general perversity and greediness that corporations are characterized with in this type of hate propaganda.

I can only imagine what an Ecuadorian would think of the way his country is portrayed in this garbage can full of lies disguised as fiction.

I would avoid watching this kind of trash if I could see it coming. Why don't movie reviews routinely include a commentary on the propaganda content of movies like this?

Intriguing, intelligent action thriller with heart and a brain

[wellthatswhatithinkanyway · 7/10 · 5 September 2013]

STAR RATING: ***** Saturday Night **** Friday Night *** Friday Morning ** Sunday Night * Monday Morning

A water firm has fitted a faulty pump in a village in Ecuador, that has caused an outbreak of typhus that started with the general population, before moving on to the military, who went berserk and started shooting the inhabitants. Former CIA agent turned talk show host Jack Begosian (Andy Garcia) is approached to travel to Ecuador and find rebel leader Francisco Francis (Forest Whitaker) who broke in to their offices and took some sensitive data. But with their dirty secret potentially being exposed, the company will stop at nothing to seek a more favorable outcome.

Corporate corruption is at the heart of this above average straight to DVD thriller, which casts an intelligent glance over how the names and brands we've come to love have a dark reality behind them. From the outset, it's clear we're dealing with a superior effort from a very hit and miss crop, with ambition and scope sourly lacking from many other such entries, providing some serious food for thought and really requiring your attention throughout.

But what really makes it stand out is the lead performance from Garcia, who proves you can still care about your work even if the pay isn't so good and it will raise your profile a lot less. He injects his role here with a steely, quiet intensity that somehow manages to hold your attention throughout. Co star Whitaker also refuses to sleepwalk through his role, and a host of other co stars, including Eva Longoria, add a nice topping to the cake. All of this is wonderful, even in light of the relentlessly heavy, humourless tone.

This is the kind of more high scale production that is sadly being pushed to the sidelines in these recessionary times, in favour of more low brow, bigger budget crowd pleasing stuff. In more favourable times, it would have gotten the theatrical release it at least deserved. ***

Really Andy Garcia?

[baywopjenny4 · 1/10 · 28 December 2013]

When Any Garcia, Forest Whitaker, and Eva Longoria lend their names to a movie, you normally expect greatness. I don't have words for how completely awful this movie is. Yes, it has a point, but it takes wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy too long to get there. It's as if it was written by a 5 year old child, and acted out by his kindergarten friends. Being from Toronto Canada, I was hoping for a lot more out of a Canadian movie, but this just further stereotypes that we can't make a decent movie in Canada. It literally took me 3 tries to make it through this atrocity. I'd be embarrassed to put my name to this. What a joke. For the love of god people, don't waste your time. Go watch "Hansel and Gretel Get Baked" instead. At least it has character.

Very worth watching, well put together, well acted

[armccutcheon58 · 7/10 · 7 September 2013]

Very well put together. It kept us at edge from beginning to end.

Very well acted. Andy Garcia's face displayed pain, dilemma and at the same time internal strength. Forest Whitaker reminded me of Nelson Mandela, caring about the people rather than himself. Eva Longoria played her limited role very well. Deborah Kara Unger was good but could have shown more emotion, such as anger, passion.

Premise of the movie is possible, thus making the movie realistic. It also confirmed how right the cause was that natural resources, like water, belong to the people, not to private industries and government.

The end of the movie showed that there is good in most of us.

Should have more movies like this. Very worth seeing!

great actors bad movie

[SnoopyStyle · 3/10 · 28 October 2017]

A typhus outbreak occurs in Tayca, Ecuador from Clearbec's failed water treatment plant. Francisco Francis (Forest Whitaker) is on the run with his wife Mia (Eva Longoria) and kids after stealing files from the local Clearbec office. The military is on a rampage. Renaldo and his boss Tony Green (Steven Bauer) tells corporate head Bruce (Kim Coates) in Toronto about the stolen files. Renaldo also goes on the run after the military starts shooting. He ends up back in Toronto and confronts executive Morgan Swinton (Deborah Kara Unger) by committing suicide publicly. Bruce keeps the water treatment failure from his sister Morgan and gunman Tor (Kevin Durand) is hired. Morgan recruits radio host ex-CIA Jack Begosian (Andy García) to investigate the situation.

There are so many great actors but this is simply a bad movie. It's odd that these actors seem to be working in different places and don't get scenes all together. The plot goes everywhere and at a snail's pace. It's both commendable and a fatal flaw to have a Toronto corporate headquarter. At least, they're not doing a Toronto for New York switch. The production is lower level although the ambition may be a globe-spanning action thriller. The two main locations give a jarring disconnected cheap feel to the movie. The shooting style is static. This really doesn't work.

Excellent Overlooked Movie Not To Be Missed

[thisisalbundy · 8/10 · 29 December 2013]

This is one of the best corporate scandal movies ever made. This time it involves a Canadian company rather than a standard typical stereotype American one.

Worldwide travelers like me will appreciate the international realistic business environment exposure that includes Canada, South Africa and Ecuador. Plot twists and turns do not disappoint. Scenes look very realistic and portray how real life business and living conditions exist in these parts of the world.

The performances are outstanding. Andy Garcia gives perhaps his best acting performance yet in his career. Forest Whitaker is equally as impressive shining again as an actor playing another convincing international role character.

Please do yourself a favor and watch this movie. It entertains and delivers so it should not be missed.

Ho-hum, let's follow the numbers. . .

[doug_park2001 · 6/10 · 10 March 2013]

A DARK TRUTH is a polished, formulaic, badly paced, and quite predictable tale of corporate and governmental greed and evil. While it's understood that this film is supposedly based on a true story, the holey plot and conflict are far-fetched (but not impossible), and the give-away dialogue is stilted and unnatural. The Ecuadorian Army must also feel affronted by A DARK TRUTH's portrayal of its soldiers as both malignant and remarkably inept. Finally, the Toronto sequences are far more engaging and realistic than the Ecuadorian ones (filmed in the Dominican Republic); unfortunately, the latter predominate here.

Good performances by Whitaker and Coates. Best of all are both the character of Morgan Swinton and Deborah Unger's portrayal of her--too bad she's absent throughout most of the draggy mid-sections of the film.

Oh. My. God.

[Mustang92 · 2/10 · 5 January 2013]

Okay, so I watched this because DirecTV was giving away a free preview before we would have to order it on VOD. And you know what? Every time DirecTV has done this, the movie has been HORRIBLE. Well... "A Dark Truth" hasn't changed that. I wouldn't even pay $1 to see this movie, it's that bad.

I didn't know who Damian Lee was before this movie; he's the writer & director. In fact, as I'm watching this movie, I'm thinking because the writing is so bad, and the direction horrendous too, it must be a new filmmaker on the scene. You know, someone who got lucky enough to attach the name actors in the film and raise the money.

After the movie was over, I look this guy up here on IMDb.... WTF?? He's written over 20 movies and directed over 20 movies!! Oh my God, this man is talent-challenged. I'm sorry, but after having written and directed that many movies, you can't be making crap like this. This isn't even a 'B' movie, it's a 'D' movie. Advice to Damian Lee: Start buying your scripts, stop writing them, please.

The acting from everyone is pretty bad too, thanks no doubt to the bad direction. You know who the best actor in this whole movie was? The guy who doesn't speak (nearly) one word till the end of the movie (!), Kevin Durand. He plays the hired assassin and it's a small role, but he treats the part like it's more than a paycheck. Everyone else is mediocre or wooden. It's like the director gave everyone Vicodin at the start of each day before the cameras rolled.

Horrible horrible movie, not worth the hour and 45 minutes of your time, EVEN if it's free.