The Manchurian Candidate--what do people think?

shiv

Hi there

Just saw The Manchurian Candidate today, not really sure what to make it.
I had a feeling watching it it was one of those ones that makes a better trailer, but it did have its moments, such as meryl streep, who was brilliantly creepy, and denzel of course.
It was disturbing, but not as much as I thought it would be, and it's not often I'm left wishing for a film to be more dark!
Also didn't know it was a re-make..
Maybe I'm just sick of anything to do with american elections...

Anyone else have any thoughts?

jesus_thats_gre

Thought it was an excellent game!!

c0y0te

I tried to see HERO over the weekend, but the timings were screwy so I ended up seeing the Manchurian Candidate instead.

I'd seen original version a long time ago, and vaguely remember it, so the new / fresh take on things was welcome. I'd agree with the comments above regarding Meryl Streep and Denzil, however there was one other element in this movie which impressed me.

The use of sound was quite interesting. At times it was quite uncomfortable in the cinema audience, not just volume, but the selection of music and more importantly the use of sound during the

dream sequences

. It 'felt' quite opressive at times and that's a good thing, given the nature of the topic being shown at the core of the film

Overall - a decent effort, a watchable film but not a collectible. I don't think I'll be ordering this one on DVD for the collection:)

c0y0te

mobile04

i didnt like this myself went a bit dead half way through the film

the origanal was a classic

but dont knock denzil
watch man on fire a true modern classic

Lafortezza

Saw it this afternoon. Denzel was very good, Streep was nice and creepy, but I did find myself thinking that it could have been done a whole lot better (haven't seen the original), there seemed to be alot of confused people leaving the cinema, myself slightly included.

thafitz

i saw this today but i missed hearing (literally) the very last few lines of the film. can anyone tell me what they were cos im not sure if it was a twist? if it is a spoiler you can pm so ya dont ruin it for others.

trotter_inc

Going to see this at the weekend - it got great reviews!

joolsveer

saw this last week. Great acting but very implausible plot. Not a patch on the original.

trotter_inc

joolsveer wrote:

Not a patch on the original.

Didnt realise this was made before!

Elmo

saw this last week. Great acting but very implausible plot. Not a patch on the original

Perhaps I am just a conspiry nut, but I think it could happen you just don't know.

I thought it was excellent, a brilliant movie.

Denzel Washington deserves a Oscar Nomination at the very least as does Merl Streep.

WARNING WARNING WARNING WARNING
DO NOT READ THIS SPOILER QUESTION IF YOU REALLY WANT TO GO SEE THE MOVIE PLEASE

Did Merl Streep's character die in the end? Was told on the View that she didn't but i am fairly certain she did, prehaps i just picked them up wrong.

c0y0te

Elmo,

Regarding your question ... the answer is YES.

The "candidate" (her son) intentionally brought her to the STAR on the platform, which was the trigger for the major to shoot. He knew he was committing suicide, and taking her down with him - but he had enough control to do that at the end.

c0y0te

cashback

Saw it yesterday. wasn't expecting to like it but I thought it was excellent. Denzel Washington was brilliant and Meryl Streep was too. The use of sound, as was mentioned, and the camera work seemed to leave me feeling a little dizzy or something. think that was the intention as the film centres around manipulation of the brain etc.

Haruspex

Saw this last night and felt that it was a taut thriller but by no means a classic. I thought Major Marco's destabilising paranoia served its purpose well as a microcosm for the growing paranoia in the country as a whole, mostly conveyed through the numerous media inserts throughout the film.

The dream sequences are freakish and unnerving as is the hint of an incestuous relationship Shaw seems to have with his mother. I couldn't help wondering how many times she had used him for her own personal pleasure through her voice-activated brainwash trigger! :eek:

Contemporary and brilliantly acted, it won't disappoint and is much better than most of what Jonathan Demme has directed post Philadelphia.

I'd be interested now to see how the original version compares. Anyone care to share if they have seen the original recently?

RobertFoster

Did the original have the same title, or was it called something else?

I saw it today - it was OK, but not great IMO.

neokenzo

Saw it a while back. Its okay but nothing that really stands out. Entertaining enough if your bored and want to go watch something.

Cactus Col

RobertFoster wrote:

Did the original have the same title, or was it called something else?

I saw it today - it was OK, but not great IMO.

Yes, the original film had the same title, as did the book it was based on.

The film stared Frank Sinatra

impr0v

I watched it recently and when the lights came on afterwards, nobody moved for a minute or two, like we had been beaten over the head with it. Subtle it ain't.

As above, creepy Streep, competent Washington, watchable, far from excellent.

As the first poster speculated about I think the audience is slightly jaded by the American electoral circus and takes a while to warm to the story.

joolsveer

joolsveer wrote:

Great acting but very implausible plot. Not a patch on the original.

But the original had the same basic plot premise......mind control to get a puppet president elected

I really liked it...thought it was the best thing I'd seen in ages...and I'm real fussy

DannyAu-Yeung

Seen it over the weekend there.
To be honest I didn't like it. Great acting, and the story line was good just a dissappointing ending to it.

RobertFoster

themaverick wrote:

How do I do spoilers? Thought this was a huge letdown. Lost me halfway through with its implausibility(especially the canoe bit). I think the secret to a good conspiracy film is to make it some way believable,so you leave it a bit freaked out and paranoid. This was all flash but no substance.

[ spoiler ] your text goes here [/ spoiler ]

without, the spaces of course

PhoenixRising

impr0v wrote:

I watched it recently and when the lights came on afterwards, nobody moved for a minute or two, like we had been beaten over the head with it. Subtle it ain't.

As above, creepy Streep, competent Washington, watchable, far from excellent.

As the first poster speculated about I think the audience is slightly jaded by the American electoral circus and takes a while to warm to the story.

Just saw it tonight and the above post summed it up very well.

Didn't like it at all. The plot was far too implausible to be taken seriously. Just my 2 cents....

CJ_Will

I saw it (and the original).
I thought it was VERY well acted and very well produced, but there was just something about it that I just still found missing. I will add that I thought the new one was better than the original.

Victor

I saw it Tuesday. The mothering scene had the audience, well, "eeewwwww"!

Canis Lupus

I liked it to be honest...... I liked the way you know how the movie would end but not the unexpected way it did end.

My major annoyance with the movie was

The fact that rather than let us wonder if Denzel is just crazy or not they have little moments where they basically tell us that there was a conspiracy and Denzel was right.... So the movie changed from is it/isn't it to just whether or not Denzel would out the conspiracy.....

I also found the dream sequences very disturbing particularly

The one that shows Marco shoot yur man and Shaw strangle the other... The way they did it so dispassionately really was freaky

Mr E

I liked it (for the most part). Wasn't crazy about the ending, though.... particularly

the boardroom in Manchurian Global, with everyone looking glum - I was half expecting someone to shake their fist and say "Grrrrr... we would have gotten away with it, if it wasn't for that pesky war vet."

.

Shaw's surgery was a bit squirmy (you could almost feel it). Creepy Dr. Noyles freaked me out a bit. Streep was excellent, as was Denzel.

Well above average movie, but probably about 20 mins too long. Wouldn't mind seeing the original. I'd put money on it appearing on the Christmas schedules.