The Manchurian Candidate

Plot Summary

Major Ben Marco (Denzel Washington) is haunted by nightmares from active duty in Kuwait during the gulf war. When his unit was attacked by Iraqi fighters, two of his soldiers were killed and he was wounded. Another soldier in his unit, Raymond Shaw (Liev Schreiber), fought heroically to save his comrades and then spent three days leading them across the desert to safety. Raymond Shaw received the Congressional Medal of Honour for his outstanding bravery. Now years later Ben Marco's memory of the incident is confused. He constantly has dreams that conflict with his memories of the incident and isn't sure whether to believe his memory or the dreams that seem so real. When he meets one of the soldiers from his old unit, Al Melvin (Jeffrey Wright), who is also troubled by the same nightmares and flashbacks his suspicions are re-enforced. He then hears that Raymond Shaw is a candidate for Vice President so he decides to dig deeper to get to the truth...

Review

This is a remake of the 1960's classic starring Frank Sinatra, and it is an ambitious undertaking considering that the original was held in such high regard. The remake, of course, still has an intriguing idea to work with and with a good script and excellent acting it is definitely entertaining but there are, unfortunately, a lot of flaws. This is a thriller with a conspiracy theory at its centre but the story is a little slow to unfold and lacks suspense and tension. The theory being put forward should shock or at least make the viewer feel uneasy but strangely the impact isn't there. It doesn't seem to have the dark, chilling, element needed to keep you troubled after the final credits roll. It certainly won't keep me awake at night! To avoid spoiling the story I will just say that there are too many implausible parts in the movie.

It is quite a serious film that incorporates a lot of issues including; politics, election campaigns, corporate funding, terrorism and military funding. Perhaps there are too many elements to be developed and instead of getting a real insight into these issues the film only scratches the surface.

There is some good acting in the film. Ben Marco played by Denzel Washington is the central character and the story unfolds as he tries to find out what exactly happened in Kuwait after his reconnaissance unit had been attacked. Denzel Washington as usual gives a solid, convincing performance. Liev Schreiber also gives a strong performance as former soldier turned politician. Helped by his military record, Raymond Shaw is well respected and is running for Vice President of the USA.

Best performance however has to go to Meryl Streep who plays Senator Eleanor Shaw the mother of Raymond Shaw. She is a manipulative, domineering, tough woman who will stop at absolutely nothing to keep her son climbing the political ladder. She is the scariest character in the film! Excellent performance. 

The Bottom Line: Intriguing idea, great acting, but lacks the suspense and tension to make it a real edge-of-the-seat thriller. If you enjoy this film you might also enjoy  Pay Check, Spy Game, High Crimes, or The Bourne Supremacy.

Reviewed by Niall Quinn, Premier Movie Reviews 2004.

RELATED MOVIE REVIEWS:  DENZEL WASHINGTON: Out Of Time,  Remember The Titans, Man On Fire.  MERYL STREEP: Adaptation,  The Hours.  JON VOIGHT:  Lara Croft: Tomb Raider,  Pearl Harbor.

Genre: Thriller/Conspiracy

Director: Jonathan Demme

Certificate: Rated 15 by the Irish Film Censor's Office (www.ifco.ie) for strong violence and moderate language. Drugs/sex/nudity are not depicted.

Official UIP website: Manchurian Candidate

~ Main Cast ~

Denzel Washington

Meryl Streep

Liev Schreiber

Jeffrey Wright

Kimberly Elise

Jon Voight

RATING

WORTH A WATCH