[FilmReview]TheContender(2000)7.1/0

Puttingwordslike“Nobodywantstoshootthevicepresident”asawisecrackinaPOTUS-obsessed6-year-old’smouth,RodLurie’spoliticaldramaTHECONTENDERconspicuouslytriestosaltthestory’scentralwitch-huntwithsomelevity,butalsobetraysitsmanipulative,beggar-beliefimprobability.StartingoffasachoicetreatmentonUSA’sbipartisanpoliticallandscape,THECONTENDERconcentratesonSenatorLaineHanson(Allen),whobecomesthecurrentPOTUSJacksonEvans(Bridges)’svicepresidentnominee,aglass-ceilingsmashingattempt,mainlytosecurehisownlegacy,asEvansisinthedog-endofhissecondterm.Butthecatchis,thenominationneedsapprovalfrombothhouseofCongress,andRepublicanCongressmanSheldonRunyon(Oldman),whopresidestheconfirmationhearing,doesn’tseeeyetoeyewithHanson,mostlybecausesheisaRepublicanproselytizer,tingedwiththeusualmisogynousundertonethatispartofthefurnitureineveryboys’club.AfterunscrupulouslyburrowingintoHanson’spast,RunyontradesonasalaciousscandalHansonmayormaynotbeinvolvedtodiscreditherqualifications,whichHansonroundlyrefusestocomment,becauseinherbelief,itbelongstoherownprivatelife,whethertoadmitordenyitcanonlysubstantiatethatsuchinsidiousbehaviorcanbecondoned,rightfullyso.ButRunyon’sinsinuatingployincitesmediacircusandbyclammingupontheissue,Hansonisonthebackfoot,aggravatedbythefactthat,whenshewasromanticallyinvolvedwithhishusbandWilliam(Thomas),hercampaignmanager,thelatterwasstillinawedlock.JustwhentheplotsuggeststhatHansonisoutandEvansreluctantlyconcedestonominateGovernorJackHathaway(Petersen,aMANHUNTERreunionwithAllen!),thewhite-breademblemofastar-spanglinghero(orishe?),Lurie’sscripthasanaceinitssleeve,agame-changerthatisfairlyunexpected,butalsototallyillogical(letmeputitthatway,thereissimplytooriskyasubterfugeforamanofsuchprominence,itisalsoextremelyimplausiblethesaidsubterfugecouldgomisfirelikethat,whynotleavethecardooropen?).Fromthatmomenton,thehithertonipandtuckbipartisanpoliticalintrigueswervestoapatrioticandDemocraticparty-boastingfanfare,withBridgesassertivelyholdingforthinoneofhismostspectacularturn,itringshollower20yearslater,butBridgesisaforcetobereckoned,thatisforsure,hisgourmandpresidenthasanunconventionalfrontisbothdisarmingandcunning.Abellowing,head-corkedSamElliottasKermitNewman,WhiteHouseChiefofStaffproveshisbarkisworsethanhisbite,whilePetersen’svileblandnessleavingatangytasteinone’smouth,butChristianSlater’sup-and-comingdemocraticRepresentativeisnotentirelyresonantwiththerestofthegameycast,mostextraordinaryisOldmanandAllen.Takingarawdeal,Oldman’sRunyonisahardenedbigotandaslyfox,holdingagrudgeandvindictive,hisblatantantipathytowardsHansonisunearned,thefilmdodgestheissuetoshowuswhetherornotHansonisaworthycandidate(sheispro-choice,politics-savvy,butthereisnotenoughmeathere),therefore,Runyonmightberightwhenhereprimandsherbluntlythatsheisnotmadeforthejob,Oldmanmiraculouslyimpersonateshimwithanobnoxiousnessthatdoesn’trepulsebutengagesus,Runyon’scomplexityisneverexaminedunderthespotlight,butthroughOldman’smasterfulmannerismandeffusion,wecanglimpsehisconcealedinteriority,acharactermuchmoremysterioustopindownthananyoneelse.Allen,reapingherthirdOscarnomination,isgrantedabespokeleadingroletoshine,andsheshinesspectacularly,dignified,principled,unflappableinhercrusade,puttingonastrongfaceinthefaceofmountingadversary,onlylettingonheragonyunderfine-tunedrestraint.HerHansonisafull-boreperfection,theonlyquibbleisthatLurie’sscriptfestoonsherwiththeprojectedperfectionfromamaleangle.Wereherallegedroleinthatsexualimbroglionotaltered,shewouldendupbeingaworthierandmorehumaneheroine(atackmightalsosolvetheproblemofherqualifications).ButLurieregrettablypanderstoamorewholesomeimageofhisdemocraticpresentationwithaself-congratulatoryfinish,eventuallyTHECONTENDER’spunchymomentumpetersoutdownthehomestretch.referentialentries:MikeNichols’PRIMARYCOLORS(1998.7.0/10);JonathanDemme’sTHEMANCHURIANCANDIDATE(2004,6.1/10).本文版权归作者他他所有，任何形式转载请联系作者。