Now THIS is going to be an AMAZING MOVIE! (from Richard Clarke's book)

[NYCGirl]

http://hollywood-elsewhere.com/archives/2006/03/enemies_watch_l.php

Last Friday night I read James Vanderbilt's gripping, pared-to-the-bone screenplay of Against All Enemies, an adaptation of former terrorism czar Richard Clarke's bombshell novel about the failures of the Clinton and Bush administrations to stop the terrorist plotters who eventually brought about the 9.11 attacks.

The script, yet another example of a fascinating run of political films being made by mainstream Hollywood these days, is the basis of an upcoming Columbia feature that Crash director Paul Haggis " to shoot...this year," according to what he told N.Y. Times reporter Sharon Waxman in a piece that ran last Tuesday.

My first casting question, apart from the matter of whether or not Tom Hanks will agree to play Clarke, is who the hell is Haggis going to get to play President Bill Clinton? Damned if he isn't right in the script, Arkansas accent, inquisitive mind and all. And in three good scenes.

Former National Security Advisor (and current Secretary of State) Condoleeza Rice is also a character with dialogue, and not a very sympathetic one. (No way around this -- the facts are the facts.)


MUCH MORE AT LINK.

[KittyWampus]

1. Clarke's next books/movie should be about Cyber-Terrorism

that was what he was also concerned about and working on before retiring. Americans need to understand how we could get very messed up very quickly... without one bomb going off.

[moodforaday]

2. You trust Clarke?

I don't know if I do. I've read his book, I don't think I'd call it a bombshell. Clarke has a good record, he apparently wasn't one of the "crazies", but remember this guy knew - or claimed to know - more about Bin Laden than almost anyone. He obsessed about OBL. If there was any foreknowledge of 9/11 within the administration, and there is evidence that points that way, Clarke would have been one of those who knew. On the other hand, if Clarke knew as much as he claims to have known about OBL but still didn't have any specific info about the impending attack, then maybe, just maybe, OBL wasn't the one who did it. Plus, isn't Clarke covering for Cheney in the book?

[Rude Horner]

8. I trust Clarke a lot

Just because Clarke knew more about OBL than anybody else, doesn't mean he "would have been one of those who knew".

Just because I know more about my wife than just about anybody, doesn't mean she doesn't have secrets with other people that I don't know about.

I think Clarke is one of the good guys in the 9/11 LIHOP/MIHOP scenario.

[moodforaday]

11. He gives credence to the official version of events

Basically he's the fall guy who says "oh my God, we goofed big time". This is the core of the official version. I wish it were true, but I don't believe it is, so I don't trust Clarke.

I'm not saying he's one of the hypothetical actors behind LIHOP/MIHOP; perhaps be does believe it was all incompetence. But he certainly is the most likeable and most convincing of the incompetence theorists.

[renate]

3. I don't speak Hollywood--

When the director says he hopes to make the movie this year, does that mean it's definitely going to be made eventually but maybe not right away, or does it mean he hopes to make the movie at all?

I guess the story does say "upcoming Columbia feature"--in which case it's amazing that they're making a movie about Clarke's book during this administration. (Surely "All the President's Men" was made long after Nixon left office?)

[Katherine Brengle]

4. I hope the movie is better than the book-

I never even finished it, I was bored to tears. The 9/11 Commission Report was more engaging than Clarke's book.

[KittyWampus]

5. Also, Anthony Hopkins needs to play Clarke, not Tom Hanks

[Nickster]

9. Absolutely, that would be a perfect fit. n/t

[Hamlette]

6. Why do they call it a novel?

Against All Enemies is nonfiction.

[KittyWampus]

7. Oh, you are correct! Changed my own post to reflect that

Thanks

[Roland99]

10. F*** Clarke. He's a big-time apologist and spinmeister now

Screw him and the horse he rode in on.

[Monkey see Monkey Do]

12. Paul "Scientologist" Haggis that is

Aside from my views on Crash (shite) I was really suprised to learn last week that Haggis was one.

As there's no way on earth this'll be out before the mid-terms I hope to some extent they put off release until the 2008 race is warming up as it will hopefully reignite debate about how pathetic the Bush administration was on the terrorism issue. If it comes out next year it'll just get forgotten.

slightly OT - I heard an interview with Spike Lee the other day. His documentary on New Orleans is going to be quite epic and he's certainly of the opinion that the lack of response was grounded in racism and classism. He's also going to include interviews with people who believe the conspiracy goes further (ie the levees were blown) and the historical treatment of blacks in America. FWIW, he also mentioned that his wife was a firm believer that Bush was behind 9-11.

[cascadiance]

13. Not sure about Clinton, but put in Salma Hayek as Sibel Edmonds...

if they have her character in it!