Recently Seen: The Machurian Candidate
Films about paranoia are hard to pull off. It requires a deft touch to sustain tension and reveal the truth in tantalising bits and pieces. The Jonathan Demme directed version of The Manchurian Candidate succeeds, although perhaps without the same impact as the original 1960's version. The story has been updated to make Raymond Shaw (Liv Schrieber) a candidate for US Vice President instead of a political assassin, as in the original movie. This new conceit works in the current US political climate, especially if you subscribe to Michael Moore's view of the unholy link between big business and the Bush administration. What it gains in relevancy, however, it loses in urgency because lifes are not as immediately at stake.
Nevertheless, I found this movie enjoyable. The screenplay is intelligent, with a notable absence of cringe-inducing lines. I particularly enjoyed the language used in the political convention, campaign speeches and the conversations involving the politicos. Jonathan Demme also kept proceedings moving at a snappy pace, so our attention never flags.
The performances are also uniformly excellent. Denzel Washington is one of the most reliable actors around, always able to believably inhabit any role. He particularly specialises in the noble Everyman, and the role of Ben Marco provides him with another chance to portray a damaged, confused and angry man, who is never anything less than a good at his core. Liv Schreiber is a scene stealer; the Raymond Shaw character is complex and calls for a duality - charming politician and conflicted introvert - which Schrieber manages with great subtlety. Schreiber has always been known for his serious acting chops, but I have only previuosly seen him in supporting roles in Scream and Kate & Leopold, and was not prepared for such a fine, nuanced performance. His performance made his sacrifice of his own life in the penultimate scene all the more touching. Meryl Streep plays Raymond's formidable mother, Senator Eleanor Shaw. She is as one usually expects Meryl Streep to be - exceptionally good. She can shift from cut-throat intensity to tenderness so gracefully, you almost cannot believe it while watching it.
All in, this is highly watchable, although perhaps less thought-provoking than it could have been. It would have been great if a movie could have caused us to really question the control that corporations have over polticians and government officials. But perhaps a movie like that would not have been half as entertaining as this movie is. It succeeds in keeping us interested for the duration of its running time, and perhaps to ask for more is being unreasonable.
Movie rating: 7 out of 10. Solid, enjoyable entertainment with great acting.
Nevertheless, I found this movie enjoyable. The screenplay is intelligent, with a notable absence of cringe-inducing lines. I particularly enjoyed the language used in the political convention, campaign speeches and the conversations involving the politicos. Jonathan Demme also kept proceedings moving at a snappy pace, so our attention never flags.
The performances are also uniformly excellent. Denzel Washington is one of the most reliable actors around, always able to believably inhabit any role. He particularly specialises in the noble Everyman, and the role of Ben Marco provides him with another chance to portray a damaged, confused and angry man, who is never anything less than a good at his core. Liv Schreiber is a scene stealer; the Raymond Shaw character is complex and calls for a duality - charming politician and conflicted introvert - which Schrieber manages with great subtlety. Schreiber has always been known for his serious acting chops, but I have only previuosly seen him in supporting roles in Scream and Kate & Leopold, and was not prepared for such a fine, nuanced performance. His performance made his sacrifice of his own life in the penultimate scene all the more touching. Meryl Streep plays Raymond's formidable mother, Senator Eleanor Shaw. She is as one usually expects Meryl Streep to be - exceptionally good. She can shift from cut-throat intensity to tenderness so gracefully, you almost cannot believe it while watching it.
All in, this is highly watchable, although perhaps less thought-provoking than it could have been. It would have been great if a movie could have caused us to really question the control that corporations have over polticians and government officials. But perhaps a movie like that would not have been half as entertaining as this movie is. It succeeds in keeping us interested for the duration of its running time, and perhaps to ask for more is being unreasonable.
Movie rating: 7 out of 10. Solid, enjoyable entertainment with great acting.
Labels: Movie Reviews
posted by gentleice the deptfordian at 8:02 PM
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