That Official Secrets is still compelling is largely down to its powerfully competent cast. Knightley carries much of that burden on her shoulders and as usual, delivers a complex, layered performance of a woman who would much rather be laying in bed with her hot husband (Adam Bakri) than stealthily printing classified documents. Her reaction when she comes across the front page of The Observer on the day of publication is visceral and physical, the response of someone who acted on an impulse, without thinking about potential consequences. It feels normal, and accessible — just how an amateur would approach something of this magnitude. Knightley is well-matched by the no-nonsense pragmatism of her lawyer, Ben Emmerson (Ralph Fiennes), who takes up much of the film’s second act as he comes up with a brilliant plan to use her case to litigate against the war itself.