Watts: 'I play women with psychosis'

Naomi Watts has revealed that she "loved" playing Valerie Plame in Fair Game, because the character is different to the psychologically tortured characters she is known for.

Director Doug Liman's film, currently screening at the Cannes Film Festival, is based on the true story of a CIA operative who was outed by the US government in a newspaper article.

Speaking about the role at the movie's press conference, Watts said: "What I loved about Valerie is that you don't get her all at once, it takes time to discover her and as you do all these new things come up. She's a real woman, more of a woman than I've ever played thus far.

"A lot of material I've been drawn to in the past have been about women with some kind of psychosis - since David Lynch [Mulholland Drive] it's gone that way! This woman transcends her psychosis and not alone. She has this incredible husband, Joe Wilson, who gives her encouragement and strength and belief that they are strong enough to go forward and tell the truth."

Watts added that she was "in awe" of Plame's "strength and courage" after high-ranking government official Scooter Libby leaked her name to the press in retaliation for a New York Times opinion piece by Wilson which criticised the invasion of Iraq.

> Click here to read our Cannes review of 'Fair Game'