Paul said that his job is to tell people the truth. But in the end he doesn't publish Harry's papers because he doesn't want to get Billie in trouble. After all, she owned half of Harry and she would have been in trouble too if the papers were published. So, for all his self-righteous talk, Paul really didn't do the right thing.
shareTrue, but we knew from the beginning that Paul (like all of us) is a compromised, flawed human being. He overcame his reluctance to taking Billie on as a project when he heard the dollar figure involved. And he almost immediately kissed the woman he was hired to instruct - his employer's girlfriend, no less.
If he'd been presented as a saint from the get-go, I'd feel differently about his failure of character at the end. But it's consistent with what we know of him: he's human, and - as Billie would say - he ain't perfect.
we knew from the beginning that Paul (like all of us) is a compromised, flawed human beingI disagree with your assessment of Paul. I find him to be a man of principle, conviction, and good character. Throughout the movie, Paul is presented with one opportunity after another to veer off course but, each time, he rejects those temptations and does the right thing.
He overcame his reluctance to taking Billie on as a project when he heard the dollar figure involved.Paul hesitates to take Billie on because he doesn't like Harry and isn't interested in doing him any favors. However, he is happy to help Billie learn and grow as a person. He's seen how badly Harry treats her and knows if she starts to value herself she'll see she has other options.
he almost immediately kissed the woman he was hired to instruct - his employer's girlfriend, no less...Kissing Billie is a momentary lapse in judgment but after that, even though there’s a mutual attraction, Paul is careful to keep their relationship platonic. To Billie's displeasure, nothing more happens between them until it's clear she's done with Harry and is ready to leave him.
I'd feel differently about his failure of character... but it's consistent with what we know of him, and - as Billie would say - he ain't perfect.It's true, none of us are perfect but, by the same token, we're not all the same. What sets us apart from each other are the choices we make and how we handle impulses. We all make mistakes but a character flaw goes far beyond that. Character flaws are flagrant, repeated, and/or ongoing 'mistakes'. It's what explains the vast difference between someone like Harry, who has character flaws, and someone like Paul, who makes the occasional mistake but is usually well-intentioned. share
I think you have it all wrong. Paul specifically tells Harry he and his congressman pal are not going to get away with what they were trying to do. That particular deal wasn't yet finalized.
By taking the documents, Billie and Paul have put a stop to that deal; kept it from getting done. Beyond that, Paul will be able to use the information contained in the documents to write about the corruption that's allowed to happen. He has names and details he didn't have before.
As Harry says, these things happen all the time. That means there are many loopholes in the law that allow them to happen. Paul will address all of those things. Remember, by profession, Paul is a political writer. Washington is his beat. Clearly Harry has done other things in his life but this is his first time involving politics. It's his first time in DC, first time trying to get tangled in political affiars.
Billie will address Harry's other issues; the things he's done in the business sector. To keep him on the straight and narrow, she'll retain control of everything he's been putting under her name over the years. She doesn't want his stuff so, if he stays out of trouble she'll gradually, but slowly sign them back over to him.
Remember, Billie only knows what Harry's told her. Until Paul started working with her, she was not interested in Harry's business dealings or much of anything else. It's likely she has no proof of anything he's told her or has actually done.
Harry's a big talker and may have made some things up, like having people killed. He likes to throw his weight around and enjoys making himself out to be the big man in control of everyone and everything around him. Jim may have answers but his presence also means he's probably been carefully covering their tracks over the years too. The records he's kept are probably 'clean'. To convict Harry for any wrongdoing, they'd need proof. They have none. It's only what Jim knows and would be willing to tell that could do him in and neither Billie nor Paul have any leverage over him.
Paul only wants people to sell their souls to "honest" government. Democracy is a perfect machine, so he says.