Rating: 
Summary: Possilby the worst movie ever made.
Review: To the liberals who would accuse me of small-mindedness, think about the last discussion you had in the office with a loud-mouthed conservative. Did you enjoy the experience?
Rating:
Summary: Was this entertainment?
Review: Was this supposed to be entertainment or political propoganda? Any future public viewing of this movie should be regulated by McCain-Feingold.
Rating: 
Summary: very good movie!
Review: iz been reading tru soem of the reviewz poeple have wrote. and it seemz to me that one of the main concernz that poeple have iis thatz this movie is two liberal. so in saying that i assume that then those peol who thought the movie was two liberal must of been republicians!! so they were being bias becausz the movie didn't followb there political belief. well...too bad!!!! it's ONLY movie. and a very good one at that. the acting waz very good and i likz the story. i thought it waz a entertaining movie that people should see!......word
Rating:
Summary: The Contender Offers One Of The Best Plots In Recent Years
Review: The Contender is arguably the best political drama since All The Presidents Men, and rightly so. Joan Allen portrays female vice presidential candidate Laine Hanson who is the target of a ploy unleashed by Supreme Court judge Shelly Runyon (Gary Oldman). Shelly Runyon does all that he can to destroy Laine Hanson's reputation by bringing forward a steamy story of her sexual past. The Contender is directed by the relatively unknown, Rod Lurie, who also writes the screenplay. Lurie claims to have a fascination with political thrillers. And his knowledge of this genre helped him resurrect the popularity of the political thriller. The screenplay tackles taboo issues and gives viewers a very realistic glimpse of the game of political chess. The Contender makes for one of the best movies of the year, if not one of the best in the past twenty years. With more than a handful of controversy and ideas conflicting tradition, stars Gary Oldman, Joan Allen, and Jeff Bridges are given plenty to work with as each of them plays a Washington notable. The high points in the film are the acting of course, the Oscar nominations for 'Best Supporting Actor' for Jeff Bridges' portrayal of the U.S. president. And another for 'Best Actress' for Joan Allen who gives a riveting performance in her role as the targeted political successor to the throne of vice president of the United States. The acting is well rounded, and Gary Oldman's character gives the movie the perfect 'bad guy'. And Christian Slater brings a character to life that you just want to strangle the duration of the movie. All these elements mixed in with the most controversial topic addressed in American cinema in recent years all emulate one of the best films of 2000. This film also would get my vote for 'Best Tagline'... "Sometimes you can assassinate a leader without firing a shot."
Rating: 
Summary: Could have been great, but way too biased.
Review: I looked forward to this movie, because I really enjoy films with a political subtext. And, this movie could have been a great film, especially through its message of standing up for what you believe in, regardless of who or what is fighting against you. However....I just could not get passed the horribly biased views of the filmmaker and cast. I am a Republican, but I am not a hard right-winger. Regardless, this movie has something to offend just about anyone. For instance, the movie considers you ignorant and naive if: 1) you are religious, 2) you don't live in New York or LA 3) you eat meat 4) you are pro-life, and the list really goes on and on. As a practicing Catholic, I take great offense when people who are portrayed as national leaders describe religion as a great fairy tale designed to fool the masses. Avoid this movie if any of those things offend you.
Rating: 
Summary: GIVE ME A BREAK
Review: Joan Allen plays the ultra-liberal ultra-principled Senator Hanson who refuses to defender herself against a sexual escepade (a gang bang) that, it turns out, never took place. The President, Jeff Bridges, gives what appears to be a state of the nation speech which is given over to nothing but his choice of her as vice president, nothing about forign policy, domestic policy, taxes, etc. Please give me a break.In the featurette it is ballyhood as a great political thriller equal to, say, "The Candidate" and "All the President's Men." What nonsense!It was nice to see Meryl Hemmingway and Mike Binder together in a film after their delightful lesbian sex romp, "Sex Monster."
Rating: 
Summary: BETTER THAN YOU'VE HEARD
Review: Any film that stirs the wrath of right-wing boneheads can't be all bad, and THE CONTENDER is on the whole a taut, engrossing, and above all well-acted political drama, very much in the tradition of ADVISE AND CONSENT. While a bit hokey and manipulative at times, this is a mostly satisfying diversion in an era where good film drama is in painfully short supply. It's worth watching if only for the stellar performances of Allen and Bridges. On the other hand Gary Oldman, whose last decent performance was in JFK, gives his usual look-at-me-aren't-I-the -grand-thespian performance. His scenery chewing has, for me, grown tiresome.
Rating:
Summary: Off Topic
Review: The Contender is the story of a female Democrat Senator from Ohio, Laine Hanson, who is tabbed by the president to become vice-president after the vice-president's death. The movie begins roughly one week after the vice-president's death and the nation is starting to get antsy about how long it is taking the president to choose a replacement. The Contender is a movie that has an identity crisis. It's not sure if it wants to be about gender equality, political ideals, or if it just wants to be a good old fashioned political thriller. In the end what you get is a feeling of incompleteness in all areas. I get the impression that the makers of this movie wanted it to be primarily about gender equality, that a woman can really be at the top of the nation's political leadership. However, the nemesis of this movie, Republican Representative Shelly Runyon, played by Gary Oldman, never seems to really be opposed to Sen Hanson, played by Joan Allen, because she's a woman. Instead, he seems to oppose her because she used to be a Republican. You can accept someone who doesn't believe as you do; but, it is much more difficult to accept them if they used to believe as you do, or even if they were only just a member of your group. Rep Runyon feels betrayed by Sen Hanson because she switched parties. This seems to be his driving force in trying to undermine the senator's chances. There is also an issue brought up between Rep Runyon and Pres Jackson Evans (Jeff Bridges). Apparently, Rep Runyon had run for, or was seriously thinking about running for, president. Something happened in Hartford involving Pres Evans that kept Rep Runyon from becoming president. So, there is also some personal animosity between Rep Runyon and the President. There is also a side story involving the Democrat governor of Virginia, Jack Hathaway (William L. Petersen), that is not necessary. It feels forced and not in character with the governor, for what little we see of him. The Contender could still have been a three-star movie if not for two speeches given during it, one by Sen Hanson and one by President Evans. Both speeches were highly ideological in nature and very unecessary to the movie. You can have a political thriller without politics. This just seemed to be an effort by Spielberg and cohorts to cram their liberal philosophies down the throats of an unsuspecting audience. All in all, I would say avoid The Contender. It's a below average movie that is making me rethink my opinion of Roger Ebert as a movie critic.
Rating:
Summary: Unwatchable
Review: I sat through the first 30 minutes of this movie. I want those 30 minutes of my life back. Perhaps this movie would be useful to someone suffering from a bout of imsomnia. After reading some of the other reviews here, I feel bad for the people who sat through the entire movie. Don't waste your time.
Rating:
Summary: Ambitious Political Drama.....
Review: An insider's view of government at it's highest level with unscrupulous characters who push bargain chips to the enth degree. William Petersen, the ambitous governer who's received the popular vote for the vacant vice presidency opens the movie giving a convincing interview to a political mag..His rehearsed resume beams with an opportunistic idealism perfectly suited for the gig...We soon find out that 'commander and chief' Jeff Bridges wants to bolster his legacy by making this untimely decision worth his while. For this reason, he chooses Laine Hanson, (Joan Allen) the distinguished senator from Illinois. His choice is met with a mixed reaction - including a self-righteous congressman, (Gary Oldman) who heads a congressional committee that approves the nomination.
|
