There's something about instant history that bothers me. This is especially true when I watch Hollywood's versions of history -- which often have about as much to do with actual events as Lite beer has to do with, uh, actual taste.

An exception might be "Fair Game," Doug Liman's retelling of the political event known by some as "Plamegate." Your reaction to the film is, of course, likely to be colored by your own political sentiments. What else would you expect, though, from this era of political polarization?

But Liman, the director of 2002's "The Bourne Identity," brings a sense of action to this junior-league "All the President's Men" that makes it more than mere liberal dogma. "Fair Game" could apply to any era, any presidential administration, that features the traditional fight between a government shrouded in secrecy and those individuals who refuse to trust in anything other than evidence seen by their own eyes.

And he benefits from the performances of Naomi Watts and Sean Penn, actors who have just the right blend of talent and stature to bring the entwined stories of Valerie Plame and Joseph Wilson to light.

In the end, "Fair Game" is a lesson to anyone who has a mind his or her own. It is a savage indictment of the Bush administration, even as other administrations -- Clinton, Carter, Nixon, Johnson -- have been indicted. And it is a testament to individuals who stand against immense power and refuse to buckle under. Or worse, kneel.

Unfortunately, "Fair Game" isn't playing in Spokane. And it isn't scheduled to open on Friday. Seems someone doesn't think that political films play well in our fair city. We'll see.

Below: The trailer for "Fair Game."