Other Titles • The Contender • Rufmord - Jenseits der Moral (2002)
Synopses for The Contender (2000)
1.
Sometimes you can assassinate a leader without firing a shot.
"The most controversial movie in years," claims Joel Siegel of Good Morning America.
Power comes at a stunning price, in this electrifying thriller that features riveting performances by an all-star cast. The vice president is dead, and as the president (Jeff Bridges) makes his choice for a replacement, a secret contest of wills is being waged by a formidable rival (Gary Oldman). When Senator Laine Hanson (Joan Allen) is nominated as the first woman in history to hold the office, hidden agendas explode into a battle for power.
Critics rave that The Contender is "the most important American film in years…a remarkably powerful and provocative thriller," (Jeff Craig, Sixty Second Preview).
(29 votes)
2.
Depending on your perspective, The Contender can be praised and damned for the same reasons. A political thriller with an insider's view, it's deadly earnest in its defense of truth, justice, and the American way, but writer-director (and former film critic) Rod Lurie resorts to the same manipulation that his film purports to condemn. But with political savvy, a timely idea (a female vice president), and a cast of first-rate actors, this high-office chess game is unabashedly entertaining. You can argue with Lurie's tactics, but you can't fault his patriotic passion.
In a role written especially for her, Joan Allen is outstanding (if a bit too saintly) as the Republican-turned-Democrat senator who is chosen by the president (Jeff Bridges) to fill a vice presidential vacancy. Bridges is a cagey chief executive, seemingly aloof as he gleefully challenges the White House's 24-hour kitchen staff but more than a match for the embittered and unscrupulous congressman (Gary Oldman) who plots to destroy Allen's character with seemingly dark secrets from her past.
As a gender-switching response to the Lewinsky scandal, The Contender asks potent questions with its impassioned plea for integrity in public service. That makes this a film well worth defending, and the stellar cast (which includes Christian Slater and William Petersen) triumphs over most of the plot's hokey machinations. The ideas are more compelling than their execution, however, and although Lurie's climactic revelation is a vast improvement over the reckless cheat of his previous film Deterrence, it still threatens to tarnish the gloss of an otherwise fascinating film. --Jeff Shannon
(30 votes)
3.
When the sitting Vice President dies, Senator Lame Hanson (Joan Allen) is chosen by the President (Jeff Bridges) to be the first woman to hold the office. The selection meets with opposition from members of both parties, in particular a powerful political adversary (Gary Oldman) who will stop at nothing to discredit her. Her confirmation hearings set off a firestorm of controversy as shocking secrets from Hanson's past are revealed, threatening her personal life as well as her political future.
Lame Hanson has what it takes to be a heartbeat away from the presidency. Now she must prove she has the stomach for what it takes to get the job.
(28 votes)
4.
After years of yawn-inducing testosterone displays in the political arena, The Contender is a uniquely intelligent feminist statement. Written and directed by Rod Lurie, the plot is concerned with appointing a female Vice President (Joan Allen as Senator Laine Hanson) to the White House. Barring her way are the collective prejudices and petty-minded historical grudges that mire all politics. For her, they're all focused in the repellent form of an unrecognisable Gary Oldman as Sheldon Runyan. Several other performances stand alongside these two excellent leads: a commanding President from Jeff Bridges, a fresh-faced do-gooder from Christian Slater and an incendiary moustache-free presidential aide from Sam Elliott. Beneath the extremely engaging surprise-filled plot, there are also several layers of commendable moral thematics. Effectively put on trial for being who she is and what she may or may not have done in her past, Allen's character stands for much more than a position in the Office. Viewers are presented with the thought-provoking statement: "principles only matter if you stick by them when they're inconvenient."
On the DVD: a trailer, four TV spots, an interview with Joan Allen and 10 deleted scenes (totalling 16 minutes) with optional commentary from director Lurie, all worthy of your attention. But the enthusiastic commentary from Lurie and Allen is the real treat. Crammed with information about the advice on re-editing given by Steven Spielberg, Lurie reveals the fall-out it caused with Gary Oldman. Gossip aside, it's also fascinating to hear him explaining his feminist standpoint after having become father to a daughter.--Paul Tonks
(28 votes)
5.
In THE CONTENDER, the sudden death of the vice president of the United States forces U.S. president Jackson Evans (Jeff Bridges) to pick a replacement. He decides against picking the popular governor of Virginia, Jack Hathaway (William Petersen), and instead makes the radical choice of Senator Laine Hanson (Joan Allen) to become the nation's first female veep. Governor Hathaway's political friends include Shelly Runyon (Gary Oldman), a powerful congressman who will oversee Hanson's confirmation. Runyon digs into Hanson's personal life and finds evidence that in college, Hanson participated in an alcohol-fueled orgy as part of a sorority initiation. When faced with this scandal, Hanson refuses to respond to the attacks, causing a political crisis leading to further shocking revelations.
Former film critic Rod Lurie's second film (after the thriller DETERRENCE) is a tense potboiler with issues ripped from modern headlines, including the nature of political ideals and the national curiosity with leaders' sex lives. Joan Allen gives another in a long line of stunning performances as the tough, idealistic Laine Hanson, who stands up for what she believes in no matter what the cost. THE CONTENDER also features strong supporting performances from Bridges and Oldman, as well as a realistic look at the high-pressure game of insider politics.
(27 votes)
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