Film
What's on at the cinema plus reviews of the latest movie and DVD releases
The Fog of War - Eleven Lessons from the Life of Robert S. McNamara (2003)
Director: Errol Morris
Movie review
From Time Out Film Guide
Former US Secretary of State Robert McNamara looks back on a life that stretches from 'the war to end all wars', through active service in WWII, when his strategic recommendations may have led to the firebombing of Tokyo, and the massacre of 100,000 people overnight, though the Cuban Missile Crisis (when he was in the Oval Office with JFK), to Vietnam (with LBJ). Presented as a series of 11 life lessons - McNamara's own philosophical conclusions - the film in a sense allows him off the hook, except that he's too intelligent to cop out. As you would expect from Morris, perhaps America's most gifted film essayist, it's brilliantly realised and should be mandatory viewing for politicians on both sides of the Atlantic - not that it would do any good. 'Rationality will not save us,' McNamara declares. 'You cannot change human nature.'Author: TCh
Cast & crew
Director: Errol Morris
Producer: Michael Williams, Julie Bilson Ahlberg, Errol Morris
Cast: Robert McNamara, Errol Morris full cast
Rated: PG
Duration: 106 mins
Most popular on this site
Top Stories
Our verdict on Peter Jackson's The Lovely Bones
Peter Jackson ends a triumphant decade with a sentimental misfire with this lush Alice Sebold adaptation
On the set of Ken Loach's 'Route Irish'
Dave Calhoun meets Ken Loach on the set of his forthcoming Iraq war movie
Stephen Poliakoff discusses 'Glorious 39'
Stephen Poliakoff’s ‘Glorious 39’ is his first film for cinema since ‘Food of Love’ in 1997. Dave Calhoun met him
Is 'Paranormal Activity' the new 'Blair Witch'?
How does a film go from DIY experiment to box-office smash? 'Paranormal Activity' director Oren Peli explains
Steven Soderbergh on 'The Informant!' and 'The Girlfriend Experience'
We talk to Steven Soderbergh about his two forthcoming films: one featuring a porn star, the other a chubby Matt Damon
A gateway to all things 'New Moon'
In anticipation of 'The Twilight Saga: New Moon', Time Out is offering the chance to pick up a limited edition pack with three exclusive magazines and a free poster.
London Children's Film Festival
Read our exclusive reviews of films playing at the 2009 London Children’s Film Festival
The films that deserve a TV spin-off
With Roland Emmerich suggesting he'd like to make a '2012' TV spin-off, we propose some more movie-to-TV serialisations
The Coen brothers discuss 'A Serious Man'
Masters of contrary comedy, Joel and Ethan Coen have struck gold again with their latest, ‘A Serious Man’
Time Out's 50 greatest animated films with commentary by Terry Gilliam
In celebration of the release of Pixar's 'Up' and Wes Anderson's 'Fantastic Mr Fox', read our rundown of fifty classic feature length animations












What do you think?
Post your review now