Storyline
A group of journalists covering George Bush's planned invasion of Iraq in 2003 are skeptical of the presidents claim that Saddam Hussein has "weapons of mass destruction."
Directors
Writers
Cast
James Marsden, Woody Harrelson, Jessica Biel, Margo Moorer, Richard Schiff, Milla Jovovich, Rob Reiner, Elisa Gabrielli, Tommy Lee Jones, Ava Knighten Santana, Jack Blessing, Stephanie Honoré, Wayne Pére, Tony Bentley, Marcus Lyle Brown, J. Omar Castro, Michael Harding, Ned Yousef, Steve Coulter, Al Sapienza, Ameer Baraka, Teri Wyble, Kate Butler, Caroline Fourmy, Anthony Reynolds, Terry Dale Parks, Han Soto, Michael Harrity, Devyn A. Tyler, Terence Rosemore, Alex Collins, Gretchen Koerner, John Newberg, Lindsay Ayliffe, Julie Mun, Carl Palmer, Larry McGhee, Preston James Hillier, William Curtis Coppersmith, Gabe White, Jay Seals, Luke White, Bowen Hoover, Jake Reiner, Jack Topalian, Ariadne Joseph, Michael Scott, Tadasay Young, David Moncrief, Josh Ahrens, Andrew Najar, Michelle Taylor, Heath F. Borne, Shayne Tingle, Christopher Gill, Milena Mortati
Trailer
Reviews
63
If nothing else, the timely Shock and Awe is a blunt reminder of how important a skeptical press is in countering a popular government — or even an unpopular one — that is hellbent on lying, misleading, on doing something for nefarious reasons, and has all of cable news, talk radio and a truth-averse internet backing it up.
60
If this swift, entertaining film, set during the post-9/11 run-up to the Iraq war, brashly leans left, it has history on its side as well as, it seems, the interests of our soldiers.
60
At a time when the current president routinely dismisses the accuracy of reporting, Shock and Awe feels more timely than it might have. It also captures an aspect of journalism not often portrayed: the fear of being wrong when the conclusions of your reporting break from those of your competitors.
50
The message tends to melt into a paint-by-numbers screenplay that pushes too many genre buttons to be thoroughly exciting.
50
Densely factual and sometimes a little unweildy, this is a film in which good intentions outweigh style and execution.
