The Manchurian Candidate --- definitely won't make you a sleeper...

Title:
The Manchurian Candidate (A-)
PH Release Date:
November 3, 2004
Actors:
Denzel Washington, Meryl Streep, Liev Schreiber, Jon Voight, Kimberly Elise
Director:
Jonathan Demme
Based upon the:
Screenplay by George Axelrod and the Novel by Richard Condon
Screenplay by:
Daniel Pyne and Dean Georgary
Editor / Music:
Caorl Littleton and Craig Mckoy / Rachel Portman
Design / Photography:
Tak Fujimoto
Producer:
Tina Sinatra and Scott Rudin
Studio:
Columbia


“It’s not a nightmare if it’s really happening --- dah! You don’t need no brain to know that”

The long awaited remake of a 1962 Sinatra film has finally landed our soil and I cannot stop myself from rushing to the cinema to see it. It’s 3 month overdue already. With a powerful cast and an excellent director this movie is bound to be highly-acclaimed. Well, at least I thought so.

Denzel Washington stars as Capt. Bennett Marco. He worked together with Sgt. Raymond Shaw (Schreiber) in the Persian Gulf War. A decade later Shaw becomes a powerful Congressman and with the help of her senator mother (Streep), he clinched the vice-presidential seat in their party’s campaign. But Bennett’s nightmares about them being brainwashed in the gulf war to put a sleeper in the white house will force the captain to stop this conspiracy before it becomes too impossible to do so.

I haven’t seen the original movie because it was shown during the time when my mother was just being born. I heard that it was a great movie and it’s most definitely going to be a test of real talent for it’s director to come up with if not better at least equal to the original. Demme directed one of the most haunting movie for me which is Silence of the Lambs. So I know that his the perfect man for the job if we’re their aiming for a suspense thriller and I was right.

The screenplay was given a few makeovers to fit our time. I have not much idea how much more they changed cuz I haven’t read the book as well, so I have no points of my own to use for comparison. But I know a flawed script when I encounter one. The idea of brainwashing is still highly implausible at the moment, but you have no choice but to just embrace the idea of it cuz if you don’t then you won’t appreciate anything else this movie has to offer.

This movie has two strengths: the director and the actors. Jonathan Demme just knows how to scare his audience. He knows how to grab your attention and glue you on the screen. It might seem quite fanciful at some moment but his good pacing and excellent antics makes it highly watchable. It was simply done, not much camera tricks but just more of storytelling, plain and uncomplicated.

I consider Denzel the most talented African-American (that’s the right term) that ever walked the face of the earth and he just keeps on proving that. He’s performance was no less than exceptional. He’s just way too good, and he’s true, just like Meryl Streep. Whoah, never in my wildest dreams did I thought she’ll manage such a sinister role. Man, she was so good and like Denzel I couldn’t imagine anybody else to do it or at least pull it off as good as they did. Schreiber was very good as well, being with such great talents could make an ordinary actor squirm but he did just fine and he wasn’t eaten by them in their scenes. Acting wise, they’re all Oscar-worthy.

The technical aspect of this film was good. The editing was fine though some of the scenes were a little off, or could have been better. The photography was good as well; they were able to depict that haunting environment. The music flowed smoothly with the picture and as I’ve said it was very simply in most of its aspect.

If this is not a remake, this movie might have been more liked. It could possibly be a prominent name on the race for Oscar. But even if you haven’t seen the original or haven’t read the book, I still suggest you go see this movie. It is not a waste of time and money and I consider it one of the best if not the best thriller of the year.