The Manchurian Candidate.
What has the world come to, when my 18-year-old sister cannot be persuaded to see either Spider-Man 2 (Hello!!! James Franco!!!) OR The Bourne Supremacy (Hello!!! Matt Damon!!!) BUT can be convinced to see The Manchurian Candidate.
I mean, this is the girl who worships at the temple that is Justin Timberlake and all things pop culture/teeny-boppish. I thought it would be a cinch to convince her to see the first two movies. But no, about Spider-Man she said, "It looks like a stupid story, we already know the good guy can't die," and regarding Bourne she proclaimed, "I could barely get past the first one." Yet about Manchurian - a political movie, and this coming from the girl who, like the NYPost, thought that Gephardt was going to be the Dem's nominee for VP - she said, "That looks interesting."
"Do you know what it's even about?" I asked her, suspicious.
"No, but it looks good," she replied. Haha! So I win! Before I gave her time to look up any reviews or summaries, off we were.
Now, I never saw the original, so I don't have anything to compare it to - which is usually better, I think. I read some reviews of it, and perhaps I don't have the fine film critic's touch - but I thought this was a great movie. It was interesting. There were some interesting twists. Sure, parts were perhaps a wee bit unbelievable, but hey - anything is possible.
Story is as such. Liev Shreiber is a congressman who is "chosen" as the dem's nominee for VP. "Chosen," because his mother, played by Meryl Streep, basically coerces the DNC into accepting him, ousting Jon Voight (who looks like his face is made of plastic.) Shreiber's character is a war hero, one of the few who has received the Congressional Medal of Honor for his bravery in saving his entire squad (I don't know the terminology?) during the Gulf War.
But of course, it's not that easy. Events that night in the Gulf War differ in reality and in memory. And Denzel Washington's character - the leader of the squad that night - is out to finally figure out the truth. And to get to this truth is a very tricky maze indeed, full of deception and lies and whathaveyous.
Denzel Washington was great in his role as the man trying to seek the truth. Liev Shreiber played the part of marionette very well. Meryl Streep was excellent as the controlling senator/mother. Maybe it was a touch overdone and hamhanded at times, but not so that it was overly detrimental to the movie as a whole.
Sometmes, all you want is a movie that makes you think a little, wince a little, wonder a little. One that keeps you on the edge of your seats - but without scary monsters. (I don't like scary movies.) I know critics out there didn't like it terribly much - but who cares about them? I thought it was a fine summer movie.
And it's somewhat relevant to today, given that it's the time of a Presidental election and all.
(Look, I am capable of writing posts that aren't entirely about mememe.)
I mean, this is the girl who worships at the temple that is Justin Timberlake and all things pop culture/teeny-boppish. I thought it would be a cinch to convince her to see the first two movies. But no, about Spider-Man she said, "It looks like a stupid story, we already know the good guy can't die," and regarding Bourne she proclaimed, "I could barely get past the first one." Yet about Manchurian - a political movie, and this coming from the girl who, like the NYPost, thought that Gephardt was going to be the Dem's nominee for VP - she said, "That looks interesting."
"Do you know what it's even about?" I asked her, suspicious.
"No, but it looks good," she replied. Haha! So I win! Before I gave her time to look up any reviews or summaries, off we were.
Now, I never saw the original, so I don't have anything to compare it to - which is usually better, I think. I read some reviews of it, and perhaps I don't have the fine film critic's touch - but I thought this was a great movie. It was interesting. There were some interesting twists. Sure, parts were perhaps a wee bit unbelievable, but hey - anything is possible.
Story is as such. Liev Shreiber is a congressman who is "chosen" as the dem's nominee for VP. "Chosen," because his mother, played by Meryl Streep, basically coerces the DNC into accepting him, ousting Jon Voight (who looks like his face is made of plastic.) Shreiber's character is a war hero, one of the few who has received the Congressional Medal of Honor for his bravery in saving his entire squad (I don't know the terminology?) during the Gulf War.
But of course, it's not that easy. Events that night in the Gulf War differ in reality and in memory. And Denzel Washington's character - the leader of the squad that night - is out to finally figure out the truth. And to get to this truth is a very tricky maze indeed, full of deception and lies and whathaveyous.
Denzel Washington was great in his role as the man trying to seek the truth. Liev Shreiber played the part of marionette very well. Meryl Streep was excellent as the controlling senator/mother. Maybe it was a touch overdone and hamhanded at times, but not so that it was overly detrimental to the movie as a whole.
Sometmes, all you want is a movie that makes you think a little, wince a little, wonder a little. One that keeps you on the edge of your seats - but without scary monsters. (I don't like scary movies.) I know critics out there didn't like it terribly much - but who cares about them? I thought it was a fine summer movie.
And it's somewhat relevant to today, given that it's the time of a Presidental election and all.
(Look, I am capable of writing posts that aren't entirely about mememe.)
posted at 11:03
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