The Manchurian Candidate: Review

Denzel Washington stars in this update of the 1962 Frank Sinatra classic. Major Ben Marco, harassed for years by nightmares, tries to find out what really happened to him and his men during an operation in the Gulf War. Politically, this is a very timely film because the story takes place in the middle of a presidential campaign. I was astounded at the first twenty-or-so minutes, because I felt more like I was watching today's news than a movie. Another thing about this flick that stands out is Denzel's performance. He's always excellent, but this character is really a departure from his past roles. Instead of being the confident and able hero, he is tormented and vulnerable. It's a multi-layered performance that's really interesting to watch. One last thing that struck me was the intensity of some of the scenes. The film is so unflinching-- it has some of the most disturbing violence I've seen in a while. It wasn't the amount of violence, but the graphicness that made me want to look away at times. It all adds to the dramatic tension that drives the film toward its pulse-pounding finish. If you haven't seen the original movie, then you are completely new to the story and will be especially entertained by the plot's twists and turns. The writer and director deserve congratulations for an intelligent re-hashing of the 1962 tale, and the ensemble cast deserves a round of applause for their great performances.

*** (3 stars)