Wednesday, October 13, 2010

The Contender - Rewind Mini Review

Released 10 years ago today...


Original Release Date: October 13, 2000


Joan Allen attempting to become the first female Vice President of America.

Political dramas are not really my cup of tea, as a matter of fact I don't like politics at all. So it was much to my surprise how much I enjoyed this film about a woman becoming the first ever female Vice President of the United States of America. There is a lot of deal making and courtroom battles that take place throughout the film which would normally bore the hell out of me, but yet it somehow managed to enthrall me. The basic story here is that the current Vice President dies due to health reasons and the White House now needs to appoint a new Vice President to the position. Where this film differs from most other political drama is that the person being sought after for the position is a woman, which back in the year 2000 was considered fantasy. It is funny how much things have changed a decade later.


The main conflict is not the fact that a woman is in the running to become the next Vice President however but that the lead council of her review board has an agenda which includes keeping her out of office. Part of what makes all this work is the strong cast that was assembled, you have Jeff Bridges as the President, Sam Elliot as his advisor, Gary Oldman as the head of the review board, Joan Allen as the senator up for the position and even Christian Slater manages to put in a fine performance. Without a doubt though this film belongs to Joan Allen and Gary Oldman, their scenes together and apart are what drives the narrative forward and both turn in strong performances. Plus you get The Dude as the President of the United States of America...how can you beat that? Check it out if you are in the mood for a strong political drama.

Trailer for The Contender:



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