| Product: |
The Contender (DVD) |
| Date: |
21/11/01 (8 review reads) |
| Rating: |
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Advantages: Solid political stuff, Good acting by Allen, Thoughtful
Disadvantages: It certainly isnt the West Wing.
This one is basically West Wing the movie. Though it doesn’t take anything away from the experience if you haven’t been following the multi award winning presidential drama on Channel Four.
As with the excellent American drama, it concentrates on the team around the US administration and how they keep their man in power.
This film deals with the lead up, and eventual democratic nomination for vice president. The party’s choice is Senator Hathaway, a solid democrat with all the right credentials. But the boss, president Jeff Bridges wants a lady as his second, and he wont take no for an answer, whatever skeletons may be rattling in her cupboard, and draws.
Thers a lot of Clintonesque references through the Bridges character but with the lady of the piece being the naughtier. Joan Allen plays the nominee quite nicely, although she is severely strong and masculine in her portrayal and performance.
It seems it’s a pre-requisite in Hollywood movies that strong women should look and act like dykes with the Judy Dench lez cut.
The plot kicks in early with an accident that propels the aging male senator into pole position for the job. A car flips of a bridge right in front of the candidate whilst fishing on a tranquil lake.
He dives in to the water to try and free the trapped young lady. All this is witnessed by an influential press guy who sees this as great publicity for his blossoming run in.
But the president and his team don’t want another Chapaquidick and knock back senator Hathaway’s momentum. Bridges, who clearly has the biggest motorhome on this film set judging by his smooth acting breeze, charms his spin-doctors and advisors to go with his female choice.
But there are grumblings in his own party who think he’s only picking her because she’s a girlie, for his departing legacy Not leg over!).He wants to be known as the first US president to appoint the first fem
ale vice president.
But shady types in his party conspire to get their candidate in as we are swallowed up by frantic scheming amongst the busy chirping of mobile phones.
Its protocol for potential vice president’s to be investigated by the FBI to make sure theres no dirt that will threaten them, and the country, let alone the leader of the free worlds reputation. And the investigators won’t be disappointed.
The vice president elect quickly turns out to be just that, as a lethal story is uncovered by shadowy elements in the white washed towers reveal her sordid college past.
She really is a vice girl as she got into gangbangs at college in her sobriety, this one rather enjoyed her ivy league days. And the story is set to scupper her chances early on, much to the annoyance of Bridges who fast tracked her on his reputation
But like the man says, if it was a male candidate that had a wild initiation at college involving two girls, then no one would think much of it.it worked for that scumbag Clinton.
She is now under serious pressure to pull out, as the skillful political operators begin to pull her apart about her morals in various selection sub committees.
A clever piece of maneuvering ties in the sex act and abortion to put the underfire senator on the back foot.
The campaign is going dirty as the Americans say, and Senator Hathaway is not interested in what’s good for the country, but what’s good for him and his career in the Whitehouse.
The film begins to build as the male senators team attack on the lines of, We cant convince them that you’re the right man, but we can that she’s the wrong woman. And as the details come out of her frat house turn, the president and the senator for Illinois feel they are losing this one. The media of course always get their way in the long run so it makes sense to feed them the right trail early on.
A rather bloated Christ
ian Slater turns up as one of her misguided righteous detractors, looking totally outclasses in talent and location.
Gary Oldman (producer), is almost unrecognizable as the hypocritical politically savvy committee member that tries to twist the knife in the ailing senators back.as she hangs on in there on morals and heart.
Oldman sports a haircut reminiscent of Sean Penns half perm in the superb Carlitos Way where he played that bent lawyer. Oldman is clearly looking to refresh the energetic eye catching performance from the superb JFK as the shooter.
This is a better film to watch if you aren’t an ardent watcher of the brilliant West Wing.It’s a nice thorough expose of political hypocrisy as the lawyers and career politician’s battle with the media to spin it their way.
But if you are watching Martin Sheen and the boys in the WW then you know theres only one winner.
It’s also examination of the vulnerability of the Uniteds States open and litigious government. Administrations are constantly probed and teased until they end up with policy that is feeble, but legally sound from further crippling attacks. Not quite why the honorable and unique democracy was thought for by many great US leaders.
Feminist will love the stance the movie moral takes that women can only get the top jobs if they behave and act like men.
The classic female paradox troubling many of the shoulder padded brigade.
But the double standard is quickly applied if they are equally adept in the sack. Something many hard working girls banging the head on the glass ceiling will raise more than a smile to.
On the whole, the film is pretty good and has a nice twist near the end to make it worthy of solid movie status
Theres a bit of Rob Redfords, The Candidate here as is there Bulworth who explored the genre just as neatly. Bridges refers to the star of that later early on.
Joan Allen is particularly good as the star o
ver Bridges posy president.
Of those three films though, i would put this in bronze place, as it doesn’t have the energy or intelligence of the top on the podium. It’s still very enjoyable and perhaps suffers as its trying to be, West Wing the movie over a seriously thoughtful classic.
If you haven’t seen the brilliant TV show and you like this sort of thing, then you are seriously missing out on some of the best TV ever. And for me I have to deduct one dooyoo star for failing to better the show here.
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