Game Change (2012)

Am i the only one who thinks........Average?

A Major Disappointment

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

Great examination of the 2008 US presidential race, with Sarah Palin as the focal point. Very interesting, no matter which side of politics you support (and I am certainly not a Sarah Palin supporter). While it could easily have degenerated into a parody of Palin (which would be very easy to do - you could easily fill 90 minutes with her gaffes and naivety. SNL probably did!). Instead it sensitively details the Republican campaign, Palin's part in it and the human side to it. You actually feel sorry for Palin as her ignorance is revealed, and delight in her rare victories.Also very interesting to see the US political machine in action.Great performances from Julianne Moore as Sarah Palin, Ed Harris as John McCain and Woody Harrelson (especially) as Steve Schmidt, McCain's strategist.

The irony of GAME CHANGE is that it reveals more about liberal hypocrisy and the flaws of the feminist elite than it does about the rise and fall of Sarah Palin. What comes across most clearly is not that Sarah Palin was unqualified but that the college-educated women on her own team resented her for class reasons that had nothing to do with political ability. Late in the picture, when Sarah is being criticized, she says something to the effect of, "well, Hillary Clinton does the same thing and no one objects." And then her own female staffer says, "yes, and you're SO MUCH like Hillary." And we're meant to see that as a brilliant put down? Why? Because Sarah Palin's parents weren't rich enough to send her to Wellesley College? Or because she overcame economic and class-based obstacles Hillary never had to face?The real message of the film is not that Republican policies are wrong but that working class people have no business aspiring to high political office -- or even taking an active interest in politics. If this is really what liberals think then they really are corrupt and dishonest beyond Sarah Palin's wildest dreams. But I give GAME CHANGE seven stars because Julianne Moore, Edd Harris, and Woody Harrelson all give superb performances. The real tragedy is that the story didn't focus on John McCain. The writers plainly see him as a Shakespearean tragic hero, a noble man undone by the mob, like Brutus or Coriolanus. In this telling, McCain is a principled aristocrat who only discovers midway through the campaign that his own followers are nothing but racist subhuman scum -- and then he proves his tragic stature by deliberately losing the election on principle. Whether you believe that scenario or not, the fact is that McCain emerges as a much more compelling and sympathetic figure than Sarah Palin. Presumably an Annapolis graduate meets the liberal definition of a "well-born" American eligible for high office. This movie was fascinating and disgusting at the same time. The people who made it are just as bigoted and ignorant as any of the people they attack. Only they don't know it.

A 2012 movie that went straight to television, won 3 Golden Globes----and is worth watching. John McCain (Ed Harris) is well behind in the polls for the 2008 Presidency. There are only a few weeks till voting day, and one of his smartest advisers, Steve Schmidt (Woody Harrelson) declares its time to gamble. They decide on a lady as McCains second in command----and what a lady she turns out to be. It is the Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin (Julianne Moore)...who knows as much about the American political process as I know about the sex life of the Bolivian field mouse ! Her T.V. interviews are now comedy classics---because of her inability to even understand the questions. Many people would have been crushed by her experience of total humiliation. But not the feisty Palin. Since her bizarre (and brief) time in federal Politics she has written a book which was as successful as Bill Clintons and Barack Obamas. Also, she has had her own T.V. chat show, and generally kept her profile high enough to be regarded as a sort of B grade celebrity. The 3 principal actors here are excellent (also Sarah Paulson as Nicole Wallace) This tale has many messages. One is, don't grab for power unless you know what your doing. (Or, unless you are Sarah Palin). An excellent movie.

Game Change does what I thought was almost impossible and that is to humanize politicians and make them recognizable enough to be even relatable to an audience. The only way this could've been done is if the writer and director behind the film made the story more accessible and detailed on an emotional level rather than a plot level, and this is exactly what the film does. It puts character in the foreground, rather than primaries, debates, and, finally, the election. It examines the people who participate in those events and doesn't try to take the route of humanizing the actual event while almost completely ignoring those involved with it.Director Jay Roach and writer Danny Strong (the same two who made the HBO film Recount - still unseen by me - which dealt with the Gore and Bush election), Game Change deals with the Obama-McCain election of 2008, the most historic election in history. We all know what happened - Barack Obama was elected and became the first African American man ever to hold office - but I'm positive not many know the interworkings and the drama that unfolded. The film focuses on McCain's campaign, starting with their search for a competent vice president who can drum up support for the slumping support of women and also invigorate the press with the same kind of "movie star charisma" as Barack Obama seems to do during his speeches.The McCain campaign settles on the Alaskan governor Sarah Palin, a fearless woman whose heart always seems to be in the right place and whose mindset is always devoted to bettering the lives of her children and husband. When appointed by Steve Schmidt, a wise Republican strategist, their ultimate goal for her is to fuel the slumping McCain polls with life and support. Her first speech, at the Republican National Convention, is where they feel that they've got the next revolutionary woman on their hands. Palin powerfully connects with the audience on a deep, intimate level, sharing stories of humanism and relatable qualities that get the crowd riled up. However, as she begins to be interviewed by news stations, that want her opinion on foreign issues, domestic problems, and serious events burdening America, Palin stutters with uncertainty.And thus Game Change depicts how Palin was a great politician in terms of being able to connect with the people and not alienate them, but show that she was unqualified in regards to her lack of knowledge on world issues. Julianne Moore boldly plays Palin, who is seen as energetic and unmatched in her power in some scenes, and in others, shy, deeply frazzled, and questionably mentally unstable, Mark Wallace states. Moore's role is the toughest of the crowd because she must get the audience to sympathize with a woman who a good majority of the American public doesn't think so highly of. As someone who very skeptical of Palin's leadership abilities and knowledge of the current world, the film made me see a deeper, more presentable light to the woman, and I see it being this way for many other viewers of the film.Ed Harris takes the role of McCain, who we see is largely uninvolved with trying to get Palin on-par with current world issues and making sure she's vice-presidential material. McCain is portrayed as a smart, vulgar, and often unsettled man, who continues fighting with the feelings of personal inferiority and restless attitudes. Finally, there is Steve Schmidt, portrayed by Woody Harrelson in a role almost built for him. Harrelson is known for his tough-guy-with-a-heart roles and uncompromising attitude in his films. Here, he portrays Schmidt, whose significance in the 2008 election I believe has gone unnoticed, with energy and passion, shown explicitly in scenes when he has had enough with Palin's ignorance or her lack of cooperation.Besides the humanization of political candidates, which I stated before was inherently tough and rarely pulled off to great effect, the levels of tension and unsettling urgency during times of the debates and the election are shockingly potent. During these scenes, we usually cut between the live debate and the reaction of McCain's campaign crew, whose reactions I often replicated while watching the film. It's surprising to note that the tension I felt in Game Change was more evident than tension I experience in half the horror films released this or any other year.Game Change is a strong picture for its humanization of political figures, its tense, unnerving depiction of events that are usually regarded as perfunctory and boring in American politics, and the fact that it features a trio of solid performances that work to make both these achievements evident. By the end of the film, I felt sympathy for Sarah Palin and emerged with more practical knowledge on the weight politicians need to bear during heated campaigns. When a film does things right, credit must be awarded; when a film does things that surprise you and strongly affect your thinking, it must be commended.Starring: Julianne Moore, Ed Harris, and Woody Harrelson. Directed by: Jay Roach.