Jeff Bridges plays the US President approaching the end of his term of office and determined to leave his mark on the Whitehouse. When his Vice President passes away, he sees the perfect opportunity to do just that by appointing a female successor in Senator Laine Hanson (Allen). Unfortunately the appointment must be approved by committee and chairing the proceedings is the man who the President beat in the elections, Senator Sheldon Runyon (Gary Oldman, fantastic with great makeup and accent � even if they have to have an American villain, it�s got to be a Brit in disguise). A dirt-digging investigation then commences in which rumours are uncovered of Hanson�s involvement in an orgy when at college.
The performances are uniformly impressive and the political machinations are considered and mature, without being dumbed down. Allen taking on the often hypocritically moralistic politicians is suitably restrained while Bridges relishes his role. It is hard not to find him likeable, but the tendency to have a charismatic, quirky leader is annoying in these films and it is na�ve to think that the President is the rock against which all other political motives and underhand schemes will founder. Which is why this film does not quite live up to potential as it falls too often into stars�n�stripes sycophancy, especially as the end approaches when the brass section are rolled out one more time and we get the obligatory rousing speech. Plus the final line really evokes a groan of disappointment. Promising but falls flat one time too many to be great. |
