‘Mark Felt’ looks at man behind Deep Throat
As a lifetime Federal Bureau of Investigation agent and No. 2 to J. Edgar Hoover, Mark Felt was not exactly an ordinary man, but he was, it seems, a highly unlikely candidate to topple a presidency. Felt was the man behind Deep Throat, the Watergate whistleblower who led Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein to the explosive truth behind that break-in. He lived only as a shadowy mystery in the popular imagination until he gave up his long-held secret in 2005, a few years before he died. By then what he represented had already transcended anything an actual human could live up to.
It’s not a surprise then that the fictionalized telling of his story in “Mark Felt: The Man Who Brought Down the White House “is a little underwhelming. The mundanities of the truth could hardly be as sexy as decades of intrigue and mythology enshrined in history and the enduring greatness of “All the President’s Men.” But director Peter Landesman (“Concussion”) and star Liam Neeson nonetheless manage to weave together a fairly compelling (if disputed ) tick-tock of how it all went down from Felt’s purview.
And it all started with a slight. We’re introduced to Felt in his ordinary suburban home, getting ready for another day of work at the Bureau. He’s a tall and soft-spoken man who hides the dirty secrets of the country, and his organization, behind a stoic poker face. A few characters at the outset tell him (read: us) how loyal and reliable and competent he is — a “golden retriever” for whomever is in power. When J. Edgar Hoover dies, Felt is passed over for that top position in favour of Nixon favourite L. Patrick Gray (Marton Csokas) — a mighty snub that sows the seed of discontentment in Felt.
A little over a month after Hoover’s death is when those five men are arrested for breaking into the Democratic National Committee headquarter in the Watergate complex. The peculiar facts of the case raise eyebrows at the FBI, but then the White House starts attempting to interfere with what should be an independent inquiry. So Felt takes it upon himself go another route — to the press. As Felt, Neeson is understated and convincing despite his tendency to drift in and out of his native Irish accent. He’s also dealing with more than just executive office corruption. On the home front, his grown daughter has been missing for a year, which has put a strain on him and his wife, Audrey (Diane Lane). While it’s understandable why Landesman has included this background, it also feels very tacked on and insufficiently explored to have much of an impact. At the very least, it could have been cut for length.
The film is at its best when it is dealing with the central story, which can also at times feel like a bit of a repetitive slog. Felt’s fellow agents are not much more than suits, distinguishable only by the fact that they’re portrayed by recognizable actors (Josh Lucas, Tony Goldwyn, Ike Barinholtz, Brian d’Arcy James) and while the day-to-day of what was happening at the FBI is a compelling slice of history, as a film it can feel a little dry.
Largely absent from the story are those two central media figures, Woodward and Bernstein. They are there in spirit, and in print, and Woodward (Julian Morris) gets a brief moment as a nervous and confused young thing meeting with Felt in an empty garage providing a sort of cinematic referendum on the story as told from their point of view. Although stylistically, Landesman has clearly subscribed to the muted colours and mood set by Alan J. Pakula and Gordon Willis in “All the President’s Men.”
The shadow of that film is a handicap, but more so, “Mark Felt” the movie just never rises to the level of its own story.
“Mark Felt: The Man Who Brought Down the White House,” a Sony Pictures Classics release, is rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association of America for “some language.” Running time: 103 minutes.
Two-and-a-half stars out of four.
thinks they’re some sort of superstar and has a big trailer or an entourage. They’re still in two banger trailers.”
When did it start to dawn on them when the show would become a huge success and endure? For Hurd, it was fairly early: Season 2. The characters had escaped to a sprawling farm outside of Atlanta. There was comfort, apparent safety and places nearby to raid for weapons, food and other assorted basics.
“The second season was one in which with people arguably could say OK, it slowed down, they’re at the farm, it was focused significantly on character development and the fandom grew,” Hurd said. “And in my mind knowing that there was action to come and there were bigger worlds, more worlds, more characters that if we were building viewers in Season 2 that it was the kind of trajectory that made for a show that could endure.”
Greg Nicotero, special effects guru who has not only made his mark on the show by creating the zombies who lurch and prowl the world but also is co-executive producer and occasionaldirector, called this season’s premier its most propulsive — a word used repeatedly by the cast and crew as they began taping Season 8.
Season 7 was known for segmented episodes that narrowly focused on one character or community. It was described as a tough season to get through, the actors missing the chance to interact with a variety of colleagues and feeling isolated. Cast and crew say the feel for Season 8 is different. The pace will be accelerated and even the way it’s filmed will feel different, though no one would even come close to betraying those nuggets fans crave to divine which characters might die and how the war will play out.
But they do note that there will be moments that pay homage to all the previous seasons — and to their loyal fans.
“There’s gonna be some moments that people who have watched the show from the beginning will see and be like, ‘Oh, OK, I see what they’re doing here’ by paying tributes to specific moments over the last seven years,” Nicotero said.