Power

Having worked in the political consulting industry, I found this film very realistic and true to form, although no one I knew had a private jet and I never got to take showers with my personal assistant. But the strategies and tactics shown in the film are a very good example of how the industry works. I enjoy watching the film every so often to remind me how much I did enjoy the business and how happy I am that I am no longer in it. The one thing they forgot to show was how difficult it was to collect our fees after the elections were over.

Power (1986) stars Pete (Richard Gere) , a ruthless media consultant working for politicians , with clients spread around the country . He's an amoral image-maker whose services , packaging politicians for a TV orientated society , guarantee success. Pete used to work for Wilfred Buckley (Gene Hackman) until a professional disagreement led to Pete deciding to start his own consulting business, Wilfred who is now a friendly rival for the same pool of clients . After a close friend (E. G. Marhall) drops out of politics, the political consultant helping to find a replacement finds a web of corruption and deceit as well. That retirement leads to Pete being sought out by political neophyte Jerome Cade (J. T. Walsh) , who is looking to win the vacated seat. More seductive than sex... More addictive than any drug... More precious than gold. And one man can get it for you. For a price. Nothing else comes close. Smart woman , ex wife . You have the ballot. But who has the power?

A tiring often downright embarrassing story of politics and media manipulation marked a real low point in the career of Richard Gere . Fine cast can't find the energy needed to make this great , but it's still interesting . Support cast are pretty good though wasted , including prestigious actors , such as : Gene Hackman, Denzel Washington, E. G. Marshall, Beatrice Straight, Fritz Weaver, Michael Learned, J. T. Walsh and Matt Salinger . In addition , veteran Julie Christie and Kate Capshaw , Spielberg's wife , add love interest but their roles are bland cyphers . All the plot twists are well telegraphed in a storyline that doesn't come anywhere near director Lumet's corrosive exposé of other movies .Lumet did better with same material in Network and other films.

It contains adequate cinematography by Andrzej Bartkowiak and atmospheric musical score by Cy Coleman. The motion picture was middlingly directed by Sidney Lumet and it failed at box-office . After starting an off-Broadway acting troupe in the late 1940s, he became the director of many television shows in the 1950s. Lumet made his feature film Adaptation of directing debut with 12 Angry Men (1957), which won the Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival and earned three Academy Award nominations. The courtroom drama, which takes place almost entirely in a jury room, is justly regarded as one of the most auspicious directorial debuts in film history. Lumet got the chance to direct Marlon Brando in The Figitive Kind (1960), an imperfect, but powerful adaptation of Tennessee Williams'. One of the best films was ¨Network¨, giving powerful scenes and providing a lavishly mounted vehicle for three great actors, Peter Finch, Faye Dunaway and William Holden. .Lumet was one of the best American filmmakers, including important films such as 12 angry men, Fail safe, The pawnbroker, The hill, The deadly affair, The group, The offence, Serpico , Equus, The wiz, Prince of the city , Deathtrap , Daniel, Power, The morning after, Family business, Night falls on Manhattan, Gloria, Before the devil knows you are dead, among others. Rating 4.5/10. Average.

There is a reason this political film flies under the radar; I doubt it's up for rediscovery, either. A power cast and a power director (Sidney Lumet--director of Dog Day Afternoon and Network) should somehow add up to more than this limp media expose, but once in a while a movie is just an entertainment, and with Richard Gere in thoughtful mode (without much of a character or a script), Julie Christie as a concerned ex-spouse, and Denzel Washington cast against type, this is an OK two hours that don't demand much from the viewer, and, while predictable, certainly meant well.

It was the script, Sidney, and someone should have told you. Wag The Dog is the political gem that works; The Candidate or even better, the original Manchurian Candidate with Sinatra are more persuasive--but if you like the stars, this one passes the time pleasantly.

The box cover and the title for the movie are wrong. This is not a movie about power, but the power of the media. The cover shows a little figure of a man (Gere) standing in the center of the title: Power. Almost as timeless as Network, Power is also the story of the media and the power it has over the world. Gere is the star of the film, but Gene Hackman and Denzel Washington carry the film with their great supporting roles. Although the plot of the South American candidate disappears somewhere in the middle of the movie, the story of the 3 other candidates in Washington, Ohio and New Mexico is what keeps the movie going. An interesting and very true look into the world of the media in politics, Power is a shelved classic that is worth the watch.

Everyone involved (and the audience) should seek out "The Candidate" to see how good this movie could have been. What happened the South American story? What were Julie Christie and Kate Capshaw thinking to allow their roles to be cardboard cut-outs. Up to now I have liked every Gene Hackman performance and/or movie. He was either disinterested (which I can hardly believe) or dreadfully miscast. I have also liked and defended Richard Gere (and been vilified for it). But here he had no "power". He was never intimidating and only occasionally persuasive. All in all I was very disappointed. I really expected much more from this director and cast. If you can't find "The Candidate" watch "Wag the dog" again or even "Bulworth".