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Memorable, crazy movie

It's hard to see any effort in the film. There's no comedy to speak of, no real drama and, worst of all.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

Are you kidding film makers? You assemble a film cast like that and then waste it with weak screenplay. You have Kim but you keep her clothes on! You make Kiefer play the role he has done on 24 for the all this years. Even Michael struggles to give it any tension. Of course it is watchable but in the rush to cram the action in, the detail of the plot is lost. The fun you could have had with the relationship between Kiefer and Eva was just wasted and worst of all where was the believable Baddie? If it is on the box and there is not much else to watch, then give it a try, but I suspect you will end up wondering how this one missed so many memorable moments.

All Flash with a Dash of Soap, this Kinetic Political Thriller is big on Kinetics and Cheats on the Political Stuff. Michael Douglas, in His Sixties, is again up to the Bed Bouncing with Affairs and alleged Affairs. Kim Basinger is on Tranquilizers or something because Her expression never waivers and She has Far Away Eyes. Kiefer Sutherland Plays Jack Bauer (TV's 24) with another name.The Presidential Assassins, without any On Screen Motive, have a Mole in the Secret Service and that's the Primary Gitty Up in this So-So Movie. It All seems a bit Familiar and if it wasn't for all the Cinematic Camera Trickery like Whips, Fast Cuts, contrasting Visual Sources, and such the actual Plot would Fail the Polygraph test.Two of the most Interesting Inclusions are Barely Touched upon an never heard from again left Dangling somewhere, maybe on the Cutting Room Floor, or in the Sentinel (whatever that is). The Confidential Informant and the downing of a Helicopter are here and then Poof on to more Exciting Things like The First Lady Napping on Her Feet or staring out a window.The Ending is all Shouting and Confusion with a lot of Running around, Ducking here and Ducking there, Dodging Bullets with dazed Agents and Bad Guys. It all Adds up to Not Much but there may be Worse Movies out there. That's the Best that can be said.

Pete Garrison (Michael Douglas) is a secret service agent assigned to protect the First Lady. David Breckinridge (Kiefer Sutherland) is a former protégé investigating an assassination of an agent. Jill Marin (Eva Longoria) is the rookie working under Breckinridge. Garrison receives intel of a plot to assassinate the President.In White House thrillers these days, the White House usually gets blown up. I'm glad this isn't that kind of a movie. This is a thriller of characters not theatrical explosions. Just to extend the point, the climax happens in Toronto. Seriously, flashy Toronto...After the twist, the movie does have some believability problems. The movie turns into an unlikely 'The Fugitive'. For a thriller attempting to be more cerebral, this is a little speed bump for them.

. . . there was a discussion of how to translate a quite acceptable little novel into a $60 million star-studded movie. It went something like this (note: *EVERYTHING* that follows is a spoiler) Green Light Person (GLP): So. . . it's a movie about a plot to kill the President and the twist is, the assassins are being helped by an insider in the Secret Service itself.Pitcher: Yup. It's a zinger. The bad guys set up the movie's hero as the mole to deflect attention from the real mole.GLP: So after the assassination, the hero is on the run, trying to clear his name. Yes?P: Oh no. He's on the run before the assassination.GLP: So how does anyone know there's a mole if the assassination hasn't happened? P: The assassins tell everyone.GLP: Er, right. OK. But why raise the very idea of a mole? P: Well, um.. . If they didn't, then the hero wouldn't be framed. And then he wouldn't be chased everywhere.GLP: Ah. OK. So. . . the assassins with a mole let it be known they're going to kill the President thanks to help from a mole who isn't actually their mole but a different mole who isn't really a mole anyway. P: Exactly. Simple as that.GLP: Doesn't that strike you as, um. . . Odd? P: Ah, but. . . They're foreigners. The assassins. So they're bound to be odd.GLP: As well as incredibly stupid.P: Stupid? Hardly. They're incredibly clever. They spend a lot of time following our hero and use hi-tech surveillance to photograph him and the First Lady getting it on. The pictures, you see, are to blackmail our hero.GLP: Into doing what? P: Er, well, we haven't quite figured out that plot point yet.GLP: O-kay. . . So. They photograph our hero because they know of his affair with the President's missus. Who told them? P: Well, er, we haven't quite figured out that plot point yet.GLP: Hmmm. Wouldn't they be better off spending their time on preparations to kill the President rather than messing around with moles? P: But they don't need to prepare very much, their mole is so well placed, he can organise anything. Like, shooting down the Presidential helicopter with a surface to air missile! GLP: So that's how they kill the President. P: Eh? No. He's not on board.GLP: Their mole screwed up?P: Oh no. He knew all right.GLP: So how come they blow up the helicopter when the target is known NOT to be on board? P: Er. Ah. Well. . . we haven't quite figured out that plot point yet.GLP: Right. I see. . . Now then, how does our hero find out about the plot to kill the President? P: An informant tells him.GLP: The informant is one of the assassins? P: Heck no. He's a street bum. American as they come.GLP: So how does a street bum know that foreign assassins are going to kill the President with the help of a mole in the Secret Service? P: Well. . . we haven't quite figured out that plot point yet -- unless, unless. . . The assassins tell him!GLP: So these foreigners somehow know a Washington street bum and they also know this street bum is a paid informer working for the Secret Service? D'you think that's, um. . . remotely credible? P: Well. . . we haven't quite figured out that plot point yet. But, but: it's not just the informant. They murder another Secret Service agent to make it all the more. . . Credible.GLP: Why? Does he know of the assassination plan? P: No.GLP: Then why is he killed? P: I think, well, put it like this. . . we haven't quite figured out that plot point yet.GLP: Right. OK. Perhaps we'd better move on. Who're you thinking of casting? P: Keifer Sutherland.GLP: Ah! Keifer, running here and there, like in 24, action man, all that stuff. Yes, that'd work.P: Sorry, no. It's gonna be Michael. Michael Douglas who runs everywhere. Keifer's chasing him.GLP: Shouldn't it be the other way round -- I mean, Michael's a bit too old now for this kind of stuff? P: I think, well, put it like this. . . we haven't quite figured out that casting issue yet. But we can always shoot Michael long, convince everyone he's faster and fitter than Keifer who's 20 years younger.GLP: Ri-ii-ght. OK. That's the plot. That's the casting. What about the ending? Big set-piece, yes? P: You bet. It all takes place on the back steps of a service stairway inside some building or other in Canada.GLP: You're kidding me.P: No. It's definitely in Canada.GLP: Indoors. On some steps.P: You got it. GLP: OK. OK. Let me think about this. . . I don't understand the casting, I don't understand the plot -- P: Hey. No problem. We don't either.GLP: -- and I can't think why anyone with a single functioning brain cell would want to sit through it.P: Yeah, but, apart from that. . ?GLP: I'm not sure. P: Hey, did I say, we're casting Kim Basinger AND Eva Longoria?GLP: Wow! So what do they get to do in the movie?P: Absolutely nothing. GLP: OK. I'm sold. You're green-lit for $60 mill.