Annette Bening has said the Trump administration is challenging her optimism “to the utmost”, and she believes there are people working for the president who are part of things that they wish they were not involved with.
The American Beauty star plays US Senator Dianne Feinstein in the new movie The Report, about the investigation into the CIA’s use of torture on suspected terrorists in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, and said transparency and accountability in politics is more important than ever before.
Arriving at the movie’s premiere at the BFI London Film Festival, she told the PA news agency: “It certainly is in our country, in America, but it’s not just America.
“I hope this film gives people some hope because in this case people were held, to a degree, accountable for what they did.
“No-one went to prison but the entire secret CIA torture programme was investigated and the movie is really about the battle to get this report out, and it was a battle.
“But in the end the Senate did get it out, with the help of John McCain and Senator Feinstein and others, the right thing happened and we are very proud of that.
She added: “It’s about how the force of character of a few people really does make a difference, and I’m sure there are a lot of people right now in my country who are working within this administration, who may be part of things that they really wish they were not a part of, and they don’t quite know what to do about it.”
She added: “I think we are beginning to see right now how much has been going on for the last few years that we didn’t know about, and of course that is exactly what happened in this case.”
Asked if she still believes in the system, she replied: “I do, I’m basically an optimistic person so I do, I haven’t lost heart yet, but right now it’s certainly being challenged to the utmost, isn’t it?”
The Report is released in UK cinemas on November 15.
