That hypocrisy and breaking each other's careers is a common game in politics isn't new. I guess it happens in every country and has happened at any point in history. That Hollywood would come up with a movie about it, was something that I already saw coming a long time ago. There are already movies with a more political subject ("JFK", "Nixon",...), but somehow they have never made a movie with political back stabbing as the only subject. This movie has and to make it even a little bit more interesting, they have added a female contender for the post of Vice-President, something that hasn't even occurred in reality.
When senator Laine Hanson, who once shifted from the Republican Party to the Democratic, is nominated to become the new Vice President following the death of the previous office holder, not everybody in and outside the White House is very pleased with that. President Jackson Evans has chosen her over a more qualified and popular candidate, because he wanted to leave a legacy of being the first president to have a woman in the office of vice-president. But President Evans might miss his appointment with history when suddenly an allegation - which she doesn't want to deny or approve - appears that senator Hanson had been involved in a sexual orgy as a 19 year old in college. The Republican confirmation committee chairman has leaked this information to the press, while using the press discussion as a forum to bring it into the hearings. He did this because he wanted another governor - who had become a national hero after he almost saved a young woman from a car that crashed from a bridge into the river where he had been fishing - to become the new Vice President...
Before the 'grand finale' I was about to give this movie a really very high rating, probably somewhere in between 7.5/10 and 8/10. But then they had to throw in a cheap speech about how great the American nation and its people are, how their democracy will always win from the cheaters,... I can assure you, my rating suddenly plummeted. I really hated that cheap flag waving and blasé patriotism. The only reason why I didn't give this movie a very low rating, was that I liked the biggest part of the story and the acting in it. Jeff Bridges for instance was very convincing as the President, but Joan Allen and Gary Oldman did a very fine job as well.
Rod Lurie is a complete stranger to me, but I admire the fact that he has written the story and directed it himself. Let's say that for 95% of the time he has done a good job, although it sometimes was a bit slow and too obvious that he was inspired by the famous Lewinski-Clinton case. Still, I could see past those little 'problems', if only he didn't have to start preaching in the last part. That's why I give this movie a score in between 6.5/10 and 7/10. Not bad, but it could have been a lot better.
When senator Laine Hanson, who once shifted from the Republican Party to the Democratic, is nominated to become the new Vice President following the death of the previous office holder, not everybody in and outside the White House is very pleased with that. President Jackson Evans has chosen her over a more qualified and popular candidate, because he wanted to leave a legacy of being the first president to have a woman in the office of vice-president. But President Evans might miss his appointment with history when suddenly an allegation - which she doesn't want to deny or approve - appears that senator Hanson had been involved in a sexual orgy as a 19 year old in college. The Republican confirmation committee chairman has leaked this information to the press, while using the press discussion as a forum to bring it into the hearings. He did this because he wanted another governor - who had become a national hero after he almost saved a young woman from a car that crashed from a bridge into the river where he had been fishing - to become the new Vice President...
Before the 'grand finale' I was about to give this movie a really very high rating, probably somewhere in between 7.5/10 and 8/10. But then they had to throw in a cheap speech about how great the American nation and its people are, how their democracy will always win from the cheaters,... I can assure you, my rating suddenly plummeted. I really hated that cheap flag waving and blasé patriotism. The only reason why I didn't give this movie a very low rating, was that I liked the biggest part of the story and the acting in it. Jeff Bridges for instance was very convincing as the President, but Joan Allen and Gary Oldman did a very fine job as well.
Rod Lurie is a complete stranger to me, but I admire the fact that he has written the story and directed it himself. Let's say that for 95% of the time he has done a good job, although it sometimes was a bit slow and too obvious that he was inspired by the famous Lewinski-Clinton case. Still, I could see past those little 'problems', if only he didn't have to start preaching in the last part. That's why I give this movie a score in between 6.5/10 and 7/10. Not bad, but it could have been a lot better.