The Fog Of War review

A key US figure during Vietnam, World War Two and the Cuban Missile Crisis, Robert S McNamara knows a thing or two about conflict. So there's hardly a more fitting time to sit the venerable politico down to consider both his own actions and the riddles of human nature.

McNamara illustrates 11 lessons pertaining to conflict and killing, doc-maker Errol Morris supporting his subject's musings with compelling archive footage. Even better, we get to hear new phone conversations between McNamara and Presidents Kennedy and Johnson - discussions that invite a rethink of McNamara's place in history.

The freshly minted winner of the Best Documentary Oscar, Fog Of War is intelligent, well-constructed and sadly relevant. It's not quite flawless, Morris never allowing contrary viewpoints to gatecrash our octogenarian host's ruminations. This is all McNamara, all of the time, and while he may be quick to criticise himself, you can't help feeling we're being denied the full picture.

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