Quiz Show (1994)

Good concept, poorly executed.

Brilliant and touching

A Major Disappointment

Blistering performances.

The fix is in and television are the fixers.Quiz Show is a thoroughly fascinating picture. Based on the true story of the rigging of the American hit game show "Twenty-One", and when America was captivated by the sharp and handsome intellectual faker Charles Van Doren over the schlubby savant Herb Stempel. Robert Redford meticulously brings back to life the art of the 1950's television game show. The glitz, the glamour, the product placements. Michael Ballhaus's cinematography takes your breath away, especially in the scene in which Stempel is forced to take the fall for Van Doren. Quite simply, one of the great scenes I've ever seen in film. Not to mention, John Turturro gives a performance for the ages.When the studio cameras are off and the congressional investigation begins, sadly, the film loses it's energy and edge and becomes a standard courtroom drama. But it must be stated, when this film gets you, you won't look away.

I almost want to give this movie a 6 out of 10 but whatever, I'm never going to watch it again. If someone holds a gun to my head and tells me to watch it, I'll beg that they fast forward to the last 20 minutes or so. This film is based on a true story but whoever wrote the script for the film added so much in and turned this movie away from an interesting singular story into an abomination with multiple little subplots which bore you out of your viewing experience. It is a shame because Ralph Fiennes gives an excellent performance. Fiennes is the only reason you should watch this film. The scenes Fiennes has with whoever the actor is playing the father of his character, makes the film interesting. Why couldn't it just be a film about the Quiz Show and the relationship between a father and son? This movie could have been a memorable drama but I'm sure I'll forget it by next week. John Turturro literally stinks up the screen. His performance is just too cheesy and doesn't fit. The only other good thing I can say about this movie is that the end credits are the best part of the movie. If you're about to watch this on TV, do yourself a favor and change the channel.

Herb Stemple (played by John Tutoro--damn near perfectly) is confronted by a reporter shortly after pretty guy Charles Van Doren pours his heart out to some bullshit gov't committee The reporter asks Stempel to take a photo with Ralph Fiennes (Van Doren) Stempel then says to the reporter, right outside the hearing "You know what the problem with you bums is? You never leave a guy alone unless you're leaving him alone. "" It's a clever Yogi-ism. I saw, along with less than 5% of the moviegoers, director Robert Redford, leaving the viewer practically zero latitude as to the important statement the movie made. Like Elia Kazan's "Gemtleman's Agreement" Redford howls of man's inability to not only do the right thing, but man's ability to cherry pic when his brief irruption of acute imbeclitis renders him unable to even see what clearly is the right thing or glaringly moral path. So then, my new favorite quote for now is, YOU NEVER LEAVE A GUY ALONE, UNLESS YOU'RE LEAVING HIM ALONE. Ain't it da truth?

That is the crux of it. Charles Van Doren (Ralph Fiennes) not only risked dragging his own name through the mud, but that of his father (Paul Scofield) and grandfather.It was easy to take the money under false pretenses, but the truth will always out. When it does, it is always messy and painful. The harm is sometimes irreparable. Charles was torn from the start, but he still gave in.Fiennes, Scofield, and John Turturro were magnificent in this Robert Redford directed film. It had the unfortunate luck to compete against Forrest Gump.