Watch Game Change For Free

Slow pace in the most part of the movie.

How sad is this?

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

It is neither dumb nor smart enough to be fun, and spends way too much time with its boring human characters.

From the moment I first saw this movie, back when it aired on HBO, I have hailed this as one of the greatest TV movies of all time.Following the campaign trail of John McCain and his crazy running mate Sarah Palin, we are introduced to behind the scenes and it is done remarkably well. Say what you want about the real Palin but this film portrays a pretty accurate film, according to sources.It doesn't bad mouth her per se, it's showing more about how ignorant she was and how she didn't seem to know anything about politics. You may be saying, "Well, then you're a liberal!" and you would be right but this isn't why I liked this film. I liked this film because the writing was spectacular, the acting was so superb that there were times I forgot I was watching Julianne Moore and not the real Palin.Of course this is my opinion about it so check it out for yourself. I think whether Republican or Democrat the film will be well liked around.

The irony of GAME CHANGE is that it reveals more about liberal hypocrisy and the flaws of the feminist elite than it does about the rise and fall of Sarah Palin. What comes across most clearly is not that Sarah Palin was unqualified but that the college-educated women on her own team resented her for class reasons that had nothing to do with political ability. Late in the picture, when Sarah is being criticized, she says something to the effect of, "well, Hillary Clinton does the same thing and no one objects." And then her own female staffer says, "yes, and you're SO MUCH like Hillary." And we're meant to see that as a brilliant put down? Why? Because Sarah Palin's parents weren't rich enough to send her to Wellesley College? Or because she overcame economic and class-based obstacles Hillary never had to face?The real message of the film is not that Republican policies are wrong but that working class people have no business aspiring to high political office -- or even taking an active interest in politics. If this is really what liberals think then they really are corrupt and dishonest beyond Sarah Palin's wildest dreams. But I give GAME CHANGE seven stars because Julianne Moore, Edd Harris, and Woody Harrelson all give superb performances. The real tragedy is that the story didn't focus on John McCain. The writers plainly see him as a Shakespearean tragic hero, a noble man undone by the mob, like Brutus or Coriolanus. In this telling, McCain is a principled aristocrat who only discovers midway through the campaign that his own followers are nothing but racist subhuman scum -- and then he proves his tragic stature by deliberately losing the election on principle. Whether you believe that scenario or not, the fact is that McCain emerges as a much more compelling and sympathetic figure than Sarah Palin. Presumably an Annapolis graduate meets the liberal definition of a "well-born" American eligible for high office. This movie was fascinating and disgusting at the same time. The people who made it are just as bigoted and ignorant as any of the people they attack. Only they don't know it.

The television movie begins with a "60 minutes" segment hosted by Anderson Cooper interviewing former Republican strategist Steve Schmidt. Faced with the question every Republican and almost every American had on the tip of their tongues on the night of the election, Schmidt leaves us with suspense as he fails to give a direct answer to: "Why was Sarah Palin really chosen as John McCain's running mate?" The movie then takes us back to the GOP's campaign to just find someone that will "look good" next to McCain as his approval ratings spiral downwards while his opponent rockets. Ultimately, Palin is hired as the solution and the image of the GOP begins to deteriorate further as we follow the hideously unsuccessful and embarrassing McCain-Palin presidential campaign of 2008. As a result of poor vetting and less-than-average knowledge of foreign affairs let alone policy, Palin is somehow on top of the world and her story is really like a bad movie taking fruition. This simple and not very bright superstar from the Alaskan valleys is somehow Queen of the World and wants to "dominate!" The movie shows more importantly the struggles the Republican Party faced in trying to regain the confidence of the American public after the utter horrendousness of the Bush administration as well as the 2007/08 global financial crisis. Above all, the movie shows the rather struggling and defeated McCain portrayed by Ed Harris in a rather respectable and commendable performance of the presidential nominee. Portrayed by acclaimed actress Julianne Moore in her Emmy, Golden Globe and SAG Award-winning performance as the Governor, Moore captures Palin's mannerism and tone of dialogue absolutely perfectly. Her awkward stuttering in interview and her cringe worthy "ya" at the end of every flaming sentence is a genius, not to mention accurate reminder, of the unique and rather poor choice Mrs. Palin really was. Lauded for its high accuracy and believability, the television movie was actually not only a genius reminder but a scary reminder of how, forgive me, 'dumb' and ill-informed this woman really was. I mean, come on, not knowing the difference between the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and thinking the Queen was the head of British government… my word! The leading performance of Woody Harrelson as the struggling adviser to the unintelligent Vice Presidential nominee, Palin, was fantastic and truly capturing the enormous anger and frustration most of America had with this woman for simply not "getting it". Furthermore, I also found the supporting performance of Sarah Paulson as Niccole Wallace (Palin's communications chief) as she fails to find a solution to Palin's ultimate lack of political awareness and Palin's lack of wanting to address her faults.

Moore and Harrelson are excellent in their roles. It was an entertaining, fast-paced 2 hours and only after the movie was over did I consider the political relevance of the movie. While Palin was the focus of the movie, it was seen from Schmidt's viewpoint. Moore became Palin, but how accurate was her depiction on the VP nominee? The movie was positive when portraying her charisma and oratory skills but trivialized her personal life, when the pressure of the campaign and media became enormous. Especially, the over-the-top mental breakdown inference. Harrelson's portray of Schmidt showed a tough-minded political strategist who made a choice for VP. Then found out that it was not working out well. The movie makes him a sympathetic character who tries to cover his decision at the end. His post-election path in real life reinforces this change. Was the movie liberal biased? Probably, when you consider the producer, creative people and major actors. But still a fun flick.