The beginning of Power is complicated, but just keep watching the movie and it'll all become clear to you. Richard Gere stars as a savvy campaign consultant who knows how to win elections. He knows that issues aren't as important as how a voter feels about a candidate, and his track record is so splendid, people across the country vie to hire him during election season. The movie follows him as he works on his main campaigns, but there's another obstacle in the way besides November. One of his clients, E. G. Marshall, has failing health and isn't seeking re-election. His spot is up for grabs, and different people want the power that comes with his Senate seat - even international villains. Also in the supporting cast are Kate Capshaw, Julie Christie, Beatrice Straight (understandable, since Sidney Lumet also made Network), Michael Learned, J. T. Walsh, a young Denzel Washington, and a strangely effeminate Gene Hackman
Back in 1986, it was probably a big deal to film a script that exposed the inner workings of a political campaign. But today, it's common knowledge that a campaign manager will tell a candidate to work on his tan rather than his stance on an issue. It just doesn't have the same effect anymore. Or, perhaps, I'm too knowledgeable for my own good. I was a political science major in college, with an emphasis in campaign management, so to me, the lifting of the campaign season's curtain wasn't a revelation. I've been actively involved in politics for the past twenty years, and to be honest, I can't imagine having a non-political brain. Perhaps my impression of this film is correct, or perhaps there are people who will find it surprising. To those folks, go ahead and rent it if you like behind-the-scenes political dramas, to see that subgenre's daddy. But if you're political and looking for a shock, you won't find it here. Check out Our Brand Is Crisis for the equivalent of Power, thirty years later.
