Denial

 

It makes me happy when a film is even better than I anticipated it would be. 

That’s the case with Director Mick Jackson’s Denial, which is the most intelligent film of the year, so far. 

Screenwriter David Hare’s artfully crafted script coupled with brilliant performances by Rachel Weisz as writer Deborah Lipstadt, Tom Wilkinson as her barrister Richard Rampton and Andrew Scott as her solicitor Anthony Julius all work together to produce a riveting story about the 1998-2000 libel suit regarding the reality of the Holocaust. (What’s more, it’s an enlightening primer on the differences between the American and British judicial systems.)    

The story has strong parallels to present day politics with sociopathic liar and Hitler-lover David Irving (Timothy Spall) claiming his reputation has been defamed by Lipstadt’s writings about Nazi atrocities.  Here, the judge (Alex Jennings) asks if a man can be condemned for his lies even if he believes they are true?

See this excellent film and find out.  What’s more, learn the clever double meaning of the title.

I give Denial a 4.7 out of 5.