The Contender
  
reviewed by Doug
Schneider Legal
and courtroom dramas either work, or they don’t. You can have a riveting closing like
we saw in A Few Good Men, or you can have, quite literally, a sleeper like we saw
with...yawn...A Civil Action. The Contender is one of those that
works. It also contains numerous performances that will undoubtedly end up getting Best
Actor and Actress nods.
It tells the tale of Laine Hanson (Joan Allen), the first
woman up to be Vice President of the United States. Before being accepted, she must be
approved by her peers. Her opposition quickly uncovers an embarrassing episode from her
university days in which she allegedly took part in an orgy. Hanson, though, is tough and
principled. She believes that what they uncovered is no one’s business but her own
and so she refuses to acknowledge the accusations.
While that may seem like a threadbare plot, The
Contender is surprisingly complex and suspenseful. It paints a sordid story of
modern-day politics and media and shows just how far some people will go in order to
squash others. It also brings into play interesting moral and ethical questions that may
divide some members of the audience (or at least get them talking during and/or after the
show).
I could find only one small fault with The Contender.
I’ll try not to give the ending away, but for those who fear knowing the final
outcome, I suggest turning away right now. The film debates the question of whether or not
one’s personal life should be off-limits to public scrutiny, even if one is an
upper-echelon politician. The audience chooses sides on that point even as the film-makers
leave them guessing as to what exactly it was that Hanson did many years ago.
It’s perfect and they should have left it at that. Instead, the film’s ending
offers up an explanation that will allow even those with high moral standards to side with
Hanson. This movie wants you to like her and therefore makes sure that you cannot
help but do so. Unfortunately, it doesn’t want to challenge its audience too much.
Still, this is a sharp and smart movie that deserves its ***1/2 rating. |
