The Manchurian Candidate (2004)
Major Ben Marco (Denzel Washington) and his unit is on a routine recce during the Operation Desert Storm in 1991 when they are ambushed. Major Ben is knocked unconcious but Sgt. Raymond Shaw (Liev Schreiber) single handedly fights of the enemy and saves his unit. For this exceptional act of courage, he is awarded the medal of honor. All his fellow soldiers in the unit hold Sgt. Shaw in high esteem.
Cut to present, Raymond Prentiss Shaw, part of the politically influential Prentiss Shaw family, is a strong candidate for the post of Vice-President of USA with his war hero image. He is backed by his aggressive and ambitious mother Senator Ellie Shaw (Meryl Streep). Ben Marco is still in the army, he and the others are getting on with their lives remembering that fateful night when Sgt. Shaw saved them. Everything is hunky-dory...well...not exactly.
Ben Marco meets Al Melvin, one of his unit members, who tells him about the recurring nightmares that he has been having. This leads Ben to reluctantly recognise his own nightmares where he sees the fateful gulf war encounter happening quite differently than what he remembers. This leads Ben to investigate further. What he uncovers is an improbable corporate-political nexus using secret technology to control human mind and actions. What he stumbles upon is a high profile conspiracy to place a 'remote controlled human' as the president of USA!
The plot has a 'Total Recall' tint but its a zillion times better executed production. Though I have heard a lot many say that the original movie, released in 1962, was far better, it still does not take anything away from this avataar. Denzel Washington is brilliant as usual and Meryl Streep and Liev Schreiber have put in strong performances.
In toto, a movie that is a great watch.
Cut to present, Raymond Prentiss Shaw, part of the politically influential Prentiss Shaw family, is a strong candidate for the post of Vice-President of USA with his war hero image. He is backed by his aggressive and ambitious mother Senator Ellie Shaw (Meryl Streep). Ben Marco is still in the army, he and the others are getting on with their lives remembering that fateful night when Sgt. Shaw saved them. Everything is hunky-dory...well...not exactly.
Ben Marco meets Al Melvin, one of his unit members, who tells him about the recurring nightmares that he has been having. This leads Ben to reluctantly recognise his own nightmares where he sees the fateful gulf war encounter happening quite differently than what he remembers. This leads Ben to investigate further. What he uncovers is an improbable corporate-political nexus using secret technology to control human mind and actions. What he stumbles upon is a high profile conspiracy to place a 'remote controlled human' as the president of USA!
The plot has a 'Total Recall' tint but its a zillion times better executed production. Though I have heard a lot many say that the original movie, released in 1962, was far better, it still does not take anything away from this avataar. Denzel Washington is brilliant as usual and Meryl Streep and Liev Schreiber have put in strong performances.
In toto, a movie that is a great watch.
posted by The Soulforged @ 6/21/2005
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