SOME TITLES LIE
All Governments Lie is a strident and incompetent piece of activism that collates talking-head journalists with shots of the Capitol Mall, statues of Jefferson, and clips of George W. Bush and Colin Powell telling lies. The subtitle (Truth, Deception and the Spirit of I.F. Stone) promises a biography, an investigation, at least an appreciation of one of America’s great independent investigative journalists. The late I.F. Stone appears, speaks, is discussed or even mentioned in less than 4 of 90 minutes. Instead, the film is a commercial for the good work of Matt Taibbi, Amy Goodman, Glenn Greenwald and a few other contemporary freelance journalists and left-wing politicians. It has nothing of value to say about any of them except that they are good. The film does manage to attack both Donald Trump and Hilary Clinton, but its episodic anthology format, kiddie-pool profundity, and constant self-celebration dissipate any potential impact. It’s like watching a Canadian public-media project produced by Oliver Stone. Which it is.
photos courtesy First Run Features
All Governments Lie: Truth, Deception, and the Spirit of I.F. Stone
White Pine Pictures | First Run Features
USA | 2017 | 93 minutes
in limited release
now playing at Laemmle Music Hall in Beverly Hills
for more info, visit All Governments Lie
