Rating: 
Summary: I Coulda Been A Contender (not!)....
Review: any woman who has designs on a political post will think twice after seeing this film; I know that I would not relish the full-barrel attack on my past indiscretions that Vice Presidential nominee Laine Hudson withstands with grace and dignity. Hudson remains true to herself and her convictions when others swing with the politcal winds in the controversy that arises over her confirmation. Joan Allen stars and deserves the strong reviews she got for the film, but the real star is Gary Oldman, who both produced the film and stars as Allen's nemesis, Sheldon Runyon the representative who heads the committee to "confirm" her nomination. Shelly never intends for her nomination to go forward, openly favoring the governor of Virginia, (played beautifully by William Petersen, with a surprise twist of character!) Although he is not fond of Hudson's politics, it is really not her he is opposed to, he just wants to best the President, who defeated him in the last election. Oldman plays his role as an unattractive, smarmy little beast who preens at the attention given to him by a young Democrat, (Christian Slater) that he attempts to mentor. A fine contribution to his
acting catalog, "The Contender" sets the stage for Oldman behind the camera. Jeff Bridges plays the President, who is somewhat amused by all the goings on, who waffles on the final decision and finally saves the day. His major contribution to the film was an ongoing
funny sequence about how he can get any type of food, no matter how silly or ill timed, at any time of the day from the White House culinary staff. In the hands of a better director (Oldman should have done this, as well!), the film would have presented its drama a little more clearly, and with a little less emphasis on Lurie's leanings to the Democratic party. Despite this, and with some added features in the DVD such as a charming interview with Allen (cold, elegant, driven in the film; warm, generous and artistic in the interview), the DVD exceeded my expectations, and I would see it again!
Rating: 
Summary: This is not likely to happen in real life -- for a reason
Review: Yes, a female Vice President certainly sounds like a momentous change in the way things operate in America, but we must remember that this topic is simply a return to the notion that there is something uniquely different about a woman occupying the position of U.S. Vice President. The most important factor in one's ideology and voting pattern is their political party, not their sex. Remarkably, this movie gives the impression that Republicans are intolerant of women in positions of power based on their past sexual transgressions. This is untrue. How else can one explain the number of women in George Bush's cabinet, including Condelizza Rice, Elaine Chao (Secretary of Labor), Karen Hughes (former counselor to the president), etcetera. However, I also do not believe an opposition party would actually, in reality, cause this much of a stir over a Vice Presidential appointee. First of all, Vice Presidents are part of the president's cabinet, and few opposition senators are likely to oppose them. After all, the president has a right -- usually thought -- to choose who shall serve in his administration. The Vice President, of all cabinet posts, is usually selected by the president during his campaign for office, and no senator can stop him from choosing a person since the election for president and vice president happen simultaneously. In this instance, the senate must approve, but given that it usually has no shot at debating this, one would think that the Senate ought to back off and let the president choose his VP. That's my take. Michael Gordon
Rating: 
Summary: So bad
Review: This is an awful movie. The acting is so over-scripted -- and while the script is just sort of bad, not that bad, it has a good premise -- the acting is terrible. And I generally like these actors. And yesh -- YEEECH -- the ending, it makes it even worse. While the movie has a good cast and premise, all along it gets worse and worse. See it for yourself, if you want, but as the movie goes along it puts the toxic icing on the concrete cake.
Rating: 
Summary: A dull film from the teacher's pet
Review: Former film critic Rod Lurie is one of the few filmmakers who specializes in movies about American politics. For watching his films, its obvious that Lurie is a political junkie who has digested a lot of political information and trivia over the years. Its also sadly obvious that he has no idea what to do with that information. His second film, The Contender, is a perfect example. The overly convuluted plot deals with the behind-the-scenes struggles to get Senator Joan Allen confirmed to the office of the Vice Presidency. An outspoken liberal, Allen is nominated by President Jeff Bridges and forced to face the vilest of slanders from the chairman of the confirmation committee, a conservative played by a true-life conservative, the brilliant Gary Oldman (who also executive produced and later denounced this film). William L. Petersen shows up as a Governor who wanted the nomination for himself, Christian Slater plays a young, liberal Represenative who opposes Allen because he feels that, as a former Republican, she's too much of a moderate (though she doesn't express one even slightly right-wing sentiment throughout the film), and Sam Elliott's also wandering about as Bridges' cheif-of-staff. And there's a lot of other character actors popping up as well, helping to create a certain community theater feel to the whole affair. Allen is forced to face charges of a long-ago sexual impropriety. Its implied that she was a slut in college and, while everyone else begs her to clear the matter up, Allen responds with, "It is simply beneath my dignity." I think this line is supposed to be heroic and maybe in real life, it would be. In an overlong, simplistic film like this, its simply annoying. Even more annoying is that, after six hours or however long this film drags on, Allen finally does tell what happened and, of course, the charges are baseless. In short, there really was no scandal and one can here Lurie saying, "Hey, whattya know? Thanks for sitting through the film, folks!" Anyway, this film is full of political trivia and information but none of it really seems to connect with anything on screen. Characters are quick to drop historical names and cite various incidents in the forgotten past (mostly concerning Nelson Rockefeller's Vice Presidency) but so what? Rather than giving an insider's view of how government works, Lurie seems to be showing off. The film comes across as a high school civics report written by the teacher's pet who is all too quick to smugly point out that he knows more about the U.S. Constitution than you do. As well, there are other little details that, when put together, take away from the film's credibility. Some of these are reflected in Lurie's directorial choices -- many of the scenes seem to linger just a second too long. Such as, we get a lingering shot at Slater at a presidential reception with his blonde wife on his arm. We see Slater shake the President's hand and then just stand around, doing that weird smiling thing he seems to do when he's not sure what else to do. The shot goes on and on and on with no real purpose. This may seem a small thing but one all these moments are added up, it becomes distracting. Other problems seem to be brought on by the film's limited budget. Again these things are small -- such as a shot of a Newsweek with Jeff Bridges on the cover and headline reading "President Evans -- His views have changed the world" that is painfully fake -- but when added up, detract from the film's realism. Of course, the big problem is Allen. She's a wonderful actress and its good someone finally wrote a film where she can actually be the lead. But Lurie seems so proud to have created an independent, strong woman, he doesn't seem to notice that he's also made her a complete bore. Written to be strong, Allen instead comes across as rather shrill and inflexible. Regardless of what you think of her politics, you have to wonder whether you'd really want her to be a heartbeat away from the President. Change her sex and make her a conservative and you'd basically have Pat Buchanan. Allen's big moment comes when she lists, for Oldman's committee, the issues that she believes in. This is supposed to be a curageous moment but its hard to see how being pro-choice, for campaign finance reform, and greater social spending makes one all that unusual for an American politician. Most polls show that Americans, superficially at least, agree with everything Allen says. Perhaps the only real departure from general opinion is Allen's outspoken aetheism but even that's taken to such an extent that Allen seems less a free thinker and more an anti-religious bigot. Just as one wouldn't want a Jerry Falwell or a Pat Robertson in the White House, a sensible person (religiously inclined or not) probably wouldn't want a Vice President who seems to suffer from an inflexible hatred of anything suggesting belief in a higher power. That said, the film does have two bright spots. Jeff Bridges is likeable as the President if just because he actually dares to smile and not take everything so seriously -- one wonders what he'd see in a politician as rigid as Allen. As well, Gary Oldman brings a sincerity to his right-wing role and refuses to turn the character into a stereotypical villian. Its ironic that one of the few dignified Republicans should appear in a such a piece of liberal claptrap as this.
Rating:
Summary: Pretty bad
Review: The Contender is almost a joke at times. The script is pretty poor, the acting is bad, it's just weird watching the woman jog through the cemeteries, and the premise was just unbelievable. The worst part was the president giving the speech at the end. What kind of president would give a speech like that? Even the parts in it that were essentially porn weren't that great. The only reason it gets two stars is because of the plot twist at the end. All in all, though, it was a waste of film.
Rating:
Summary: Great start, blown-up ending
Review: There is only way to watch The Contender, if you choose to watch at all, and that is to leave your politics at the door. It doesn't matter which side of the isle you lean to, The Contender will tick you off either way and you won't enjoy it. That being said, The Contender is a really great political thriller, if you accept it purely as entertainment. The President, looking to appoint a new vice president, picks a nominee that just about no one is happy with. Off and running are the internal politics, deals, schleps, and sleaziness. The opposition digs up some pretty nasty past sexual material on the nominee, which she refuses to defend, citing that in any case it's "nobody's business". That story line, along with great acting, and some pretty awesome cinematography will keep you intrigued and entertained. The only complaint about this movie, before the final fifteen minutes, is a somewhat cheap portrayal of liberals as being ultra-moral and conservatives as being dishonest and nutty. Unfortunately in the final fifteen minutes, the nominee's ridiculous political speech about what she does and does not stand for (yes to killing the unborn, no to killing convicted murderers), an equally ridiculous speech by the president that accuses anyone of not supporting his nominee of being unpatriotic, and finally her revelation that she was not guilty of the sexual acts that she was accused of (which ends her moral high ground of "it's nobody's business") all coincide in the last fifteen minutes to throw cheesiness all over a fairly polished movie. It's a true shame. I can't really decide whether to recommend this movie to others or not. Never before have I seen a movie that was sooo good and sooo bad at the same time.
Rating: 
Summary: Like a well played poker match, The Contender ...
Review: ...plays all the right cards. From the charismatic portrayal of the POTUS by Jeff Bridges and quiet strength of VP candidate, Joan Allen, to the pathetically, pious interpretation of the Committee Chairman by Gary Oldman and the flawless direction of Rod Lurie, this is a movie that works well on all levels. Though admittedly simplistic in drawing the line between good and bad (read Democrats and Republicans), the plot remains engrossing, with enough twist and turns to keep the final outcome from becoming a mere formality. Add the fact that the false morality that permeates the American political scene, is it's main target, and you have a film that is as timely as it is uplifting. No, this is not a subliminal film and it doesn't pretend to be one. But partisan politics aside, what's important here is to *listen* to the message it carries so loud and clear. And if you find the message troubling, perhaps it's time you took a close, hard look in the mirror. Happy viewing.
Rating:
Summary: Indoctrination at it's worst
Review: Have you ever sat through a movie and felt like it was a waste of time, you got ripped off and your intelligence was insulted? This movie can do all that for you. This is tripe at a new level. What a wonderful woman this Joan Allen portrays. The vice president dies and Jeff Bridges (the president) needs to appoint someone to the vice presidency. Joan Allen is his choice. Then Gary Oldham (the evil, unmerciful conservative) attacks her morality and claims she indulged in gross sexual misconduct back in her early college years. She won't deny the charges so everyone figures it's true. She only states that it's beneath her dignity to reply to the allegations. As it turns out Joan "above reproach" Allen did none of what she's been accused of. It was some other woman in those pictures and her infinite integrity has been saved. I almost cried when the sympathetic (pathetic) music came on while she was uttering more profound "patriotic" drivel. Who is this movie trying to fool? If they're trying to win over people to be liberals, I would suggest they come up with something more plausible. I can imagine liberals being embarrassed that a movie this transparent was used to further their cause. I hate politics and I hate political movies. I don't like liberals and I don't like conservatives either. This movie was an obvious attempt to make you identify with someone who's an atheist (isn't that also a faith?) and wants to take your guns away. Of course, people like her don't have to worry about their welfare and protecting themselves from criminals. They have their bodyguards watching over them and carrying concealed weapons. If you still want to see this movie try to rent it on dollar day, then it won't seem like such a ripoff.
Rating:
Summary: A Liberal Lecture on Politics and Morality
Review: Here is a movie on the way things work on the Capitol Hill that a Liberal would love and a Republican would hate to watch. The movie has captured the essence of the kind of hardball that is played on a daily basis on the Hill pretty well. Not only there are committee chairpersons like the one portrayed almost to a fault by Gary Oldman, but probably all chairpersons operate more or less that way, regardless of their party affiliation. In that sense, this is a realistic movie. The plot and characters make sense. Christian Slater does his job well as a young and ambitious congressman trying to ingratiate himself to the graces of the high-powered and vindictive committee chairman (Oldman). Joan Allen, in the title role, is as sublime and subtle as she is beautiful. However, when it comes to other acting and directing, that's where this movie frays on the edges. Jeff Bridges' portrayal of a Clintonesque U.S. President, for example, is just too bombastic and over-the-top. The movie could have benefitted a lot if Mr. Bridges applied some brakes to his double-barrell delivery. Another big negative is that this is a movie that LECTURES at top volume. The message is one that I personally happen to agree with. But I cannot forgive lecturing in a movie since I believe a movie should show and not tell. Overall, an entertaining movie despite its faults, with a great plot twist at the end. Get ready for the surprise.
Rating:
Summary: Joan Allen shines in one of her best
Review: this is really long and really great. Joan Allen delivers a good performance as the woman running for vice president and then Gary Oldman who is great who is the man whos trying to ruin her career with lies and things she experimented in college like sexual things I might add. the president is played by Jeff Bridges. Christian Slater plays a reporter who doesnt know which side hes on, hes also great as well and William Petersen plays the other candidate running for vice president who has things up his sleeve as well. all in all its powerful, shocking and politically filled. a good job by Rod Lurie
|
