Rating: 
Summary: Great movie
Review: I remember seeing a review for this movie saying that the foreign policy represented in this movie was not realistic. Well now i wonder if that person has changed their mind. After 9/11 anything is possible now.
Rating:
Summary: Great movie
Review: I remember seeing a review for this movie saying that the foreign policy represented in this movie was not realistic. Well now i wonder if that person has changed their mind. After 9/11 anything is possible now.
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding film
Review: I saw this film as a part of a film class and was able, as a result, to discuss it with several members of the production staff. Deterrence is a rare film in that it is a political thriller that dares to cross global moral boundaries that many hold sacred. You find yourself often in disbelief and shock but the ending of the film will be the most shocking of all. The writing here is just first class as is the acting. I never knew what was going to happen next and was just glued to my seat.If you are looking for a film with lots of fancy camera angles, multiple settings and special effects, let me assure you this is NOT the film. If however, you are interested in an engaging piece of cinema that is well written, well acted, creative and keeps you riveted to the screen in anticaption of the next move, I cannot suggest a better film.
Rating:
Summary: War by speaker-phone Post Sadam
Review: I see 35 other reviews...I'll keep this short.Sharp. Good cast. Well written; a director's director's timing. Politically astute. On a par with Missiles of October -- a way to go to meet Dr. Strangelove. In the Post-Sadam era we can appreciate the fact that reality did not follow fiction. Still, there was an uncanny female foreign policy staffer who resembles in every way the one that is in office now (2003). A brilliant work...that still stands up post-Sadam.
Rating: 
Summary: A Great Movie
Review: I teach Political Science at Albion College. I thought that this film was great - unfortunately, it was overshadowed by others films at release, and hasn't recived the attention it deserves. I recommend it highly!
Rating: 
Summary: A rare politically-savvy drama
Review: I think some people have been so rapturous at seeing a smart, politically savvy drama like this one that they've stumbled a little too eagerly to sing its praises. I liked "Deterrence" very much, but I must admit that it has some pretty significant flaws at its core. To its credit, its knowledge of politics far transcends that of any Hollywood movie in recent or distant memory (except for "The Contender", which is not coincidentaly written and directed by Rod Lurie, who performed the same duties for "Deterrence), and the film is unfailingly gripping. At the same time, some of its revelations are simply unbelievable to a viewer who has the political knowledge to understand the finer details of the film. For instance, the final "twist" (which I will not reveal here) goes beyond implausible. It simply would and could not happen. But the movie is still a good one.
Rating:
Summary: Inspires a dull fascination
Review: I'm having difficulty deciding whether I liked DETERRENCE or not. The concept is promising, but the execution flawed. Kevin Pollack plays Walter Emerson, recently vaulted from U.S. Vice President to President after the death of the latter. (My immediate reaction was to wonder what presidential candidate would pick such a physically unprepossessing running mate. No savvy politician would do that! Then, I thought of the recent campaign.) Emerson is now running for election on his own merits. While stumping Colorado during that state's primary, he, his executive staff, and the security team take refuge from a blizzard in a rural greasy spoon, already containing its black cook/owner, a French Canadian waitress, a middle-aged WASPish couple playing chess, and a male rustic shooting pool. Shortly after ordering burgers and coffee, the President is informed by an on-screen TV news personality that Sadam Hussein's son, now the Great Leader after the death of the Old Man, has invaded Kuwait. Almost immediately, Emerson broadcasts to America his intention to nuke Baghdad unless the Iraqis withdraw and Hussein personally surrender himself to an American embassy. (Yeah, that's gonna happen!) In response, the Iraqi's Washington ambassador vows retaliation with twenty-some missiles carrying nuclear warheads - bombs purchased from one of its European pals. As proof of nuclear capability, he provides the co-ordinates of the launch sites, subsequently confirmed by U.S. intelligence. Thus begins the global game of chicken. I guess I fell into the trap of comparing DETERRENCE with the original FAIL-SAFE, which exercise makes the former look all the more droll. To be fair, Timothy Hutton (as Emerson's chief of staff) and Sheryl Lee Ralph (as the National Security Advisor) are quite good in their performances, especially Ralph. However, Pollack's role as a Chief Executive with Short Man's Syndrome trying too hard to stand up to the malevolent Iraqis is stretched beyond credibility by the fact that his character is also Jewish. And, surely the most uncomfortable moment was Emerson's awkward attempt to engage the waitress in a theological discussion. The last time I'd seen Sean Astin was in 1993's RUDY, in which he was terrific... I would've expected Astin to graduate to more mature roles, but in DETERRENCE he seems to have sadly regressed, playing the local, pool-playing redneck. The other shut-ins, the black cook and the WASP couple, should have kept silent and out of sight. The ending of this movie being what it is, the film almost works better as a doomsday parody. I mean, c'mon, would the French co-operate with the United States to that extent? They hate everybody, and particularly America ever since the first McDonald's sullied the City of Light. Admittedly, the movie kept my attention to its conclusion, but it was more out of a dull fascination waiting to see if it would get any better.
Rating:
Summary: This movie is surprisingly good.
Review: I've always like Pollack's work. Everytime I see him, I'm rarely disappointed. This time I was pleasantly surprised. This movie will keep you on the edge of your seat.
Rating:
Summary: ONE OF THE BEST POLITICAL THRILLERS IN YEARS
Review: If you love political thrillers like 7 Days in May, Failsafe, The Bedford Incident, ect. then you will throughly enjoy Deterrence.Its basically set in a roadside diner where the dialogue and the suspense are the center of the movie, not special effects.It is very similar in that regard to 12 Angry Men.The movie begins with Kevin Pollack (a good character actor) as the new President of the United States, swinging through Colorado during the capaign primary there when he, his advisers, secret service detail ect. get holed up in a diner when a blizzard strikes..While there, he learns from CNN on the Tv there that the son of Saddam Hussein has overrun U.S. positions in the middle east and is going to again invade Kuwait and Saudi Arabia..Since its Saddam's son you know this is the future, 2008 but every other detail in the movie is strictly current era, i.e. no ray guns..Anyway, the President is stuck in this diner, and has to fight this crisis with only 4 secure cell phones at his disposal, repel massive Iraqi armored divisions while all the U.S. forces are tied down in Korea in a crisis there..This is the beginning of the movie and the brinksmanship between leaders, and countries which threatens global thermo-nuclear war.If you love political thrillers like the ones mentioned above then you will lovbe this film too..It was made by a first time director and graduate of West Point..It got overlooked at the theatre and on video by mainstream people.It has become an underground or cult classic with intelligent people who enjoy suspenseful thrillers that don't have to cost 200 million dollars to make..This movie is almost a throwback to the classic cold war thrillers of the 50's and 60's when good acting, writing, and directing was emphasized rather than big explosions.
Rating: 
Summary: Waste of time, incredibly stupid
Review: If you're reasonably intelligent, you'll be annoyed if you waste your time watching this movie. Cheesy dialog, unconvincing acting, and a ridiculous ending all ruined what could have been an awesome tale. I had hoped for a good nail-biting, tension-filled movie, perhaps with a meaningful message about nuclear weapons (either pro or con, at least something meaningful). Instead? Nothing. Just a wish that I'd spent my time doing something else. There's nothing "deep" about this, the only "message" you could possibly derive is one you add yourself -- it's not in the film. The characters are terribly inconsistent... Ugh. I could go on and on about how poor this movie is, but I can't think of anything positive to say about it -- and that is really sad, because the basic concept has so much potential.
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