Fail Safe (2000)

Save your money for something good and enjoyable

Good concept, poorly executed.

Entertaining from beginning to end, it maintains the spirit of the franchise while establishing it's own seal with a fun cast

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

I want to freely state here that George Clooney is capable of brilliance, and the live television production of "Fail Safe" is a prime example of this. Whether it needed to be produced in black and white... is an artistic judgment that a lot of people agreed with. I was "meh" about it - this is, after all, the 21st century, and the only reason that Fail-Safe was done in black and white originally was economics. Now color's as cheap as black and white, and nothing in the original Burdick and Wheeler novel "Fail-Safe" demanded black and white.One suspects Clooney is nostalgic for the 1960s, when so many moral questions seemed easier to plumb to us baby-boomers. But the black and white presentation's a relatively minor issue.One thing I missed from the first movie presentation and the novel was a stronger Prof. Grotescheele (the Herman Kahn-like character in the movie played by Hank Azaria, who cut a figure in Georgetown house parties by brandishing his knowledge and seeming insouciance about thermonuclear war). The character came across as oddly subdued in the Clooney adaptation, perhaps because his egotism was shown (in the novel) in places which may have been very difficult to stage for a live production (in one case, the inside of a parked car). That's ONE drawback to live productions - you're limited in staging.But these are minor cavils. The fact is, George Clooney shot for a very hard target - reviving live television drama - and hit it outstandingly. The atmosphere of tension and violently conflicting loyalties comes across as sharp or sharper as in the original movie.I recommend you view this film, and the original film, and read the novel "Fail Safe," for the problem it explores, the very unsteady nature of nuclear weapon command and control, is going to be even more important to us as the membership of the Nuclear Weapon Club passes ten and moves toward twenty nations. Eventually, how well Bangladesh can control its nuclear arsenal when North Korea sells them one will be a question that affects all of us personally.And I fervently agree with George Clooney's remarks in the end credits of his adaptation of "Fail-Safe" that the growing membership of the nuclear club is an ominous development. I disagree that arms control is imperative; we've had arms control and a Nuclear Non- Proliferation Treaty for almost fifty years, and in that time India, Pakistan, South Africa and North Korea joined the Nuclear Club,often with help from fully signed-up (on paper) opponents of nuclear proliferation. There are absolutely no simple solutions to this problem.

A computer malfunction triggers the transmission of nuclear attack codes to a United States bomber squadron to nuke Moscow. It's up to the shrewd and diplomatic President (superbly played with conviction and authority by Richard Dreyfuss), his advisers, and various military leaders to avert a major catastrophe. Director Stephen Frears, working from a taut, smart, and gripping script by Walter Bernstein, relates the riveting story at a swift pace, generates a tremendous amount of nerve-rattling suspense, astutely nails the paranoia of the 60's Cold War era, and maintains a serious tone throughout. Moreover, Frears warrants extra praise for telling the still relevant narrative in an admirably economical straightforward manner and sustaining an uncompromisingly tough sensibility that stays fiercely true to itself right to the devastating downbeat end. The sterling acting by the top-rate cast keeps everything humming: George Clooney as genial and dutiful fighter pilot Col. Jack Grady, Hank Azaria as the coldly pragmatic Prof. Groeteschele, Noah Wyle as eager translator Buck, Harvey Keitel as the conflicted Brig. Gen. Warren Black, Brian Dennehy as the bluff, no-nonsense Gen. Brogan, John Diehl as the ramrod Col. Cascio, Don Cheadle as by-the-book fighter co-pilot Lt. Jimmy Pierce, Sam Elliott as the hearty Congressman Raskob, James Cromwell as the cagey Gordon Knapp, and Norman Lloyd as the sly Defense Secretary Swenson. The total absence of any music and John A. Alonzo's sharp black and white cinematography gives this picture a strong sense of stark documentary-like realism. A real on the money harrowing and effective nail-biter.

--Contains spoilers-- Excellent mind numbing drama-thriller, a must see film for everyone. Superb acting, from a fabulous cast. Fail Safe tugs at your very core and evokes emotions from love to the vary basic instincts of survival and extreme sacrifice in a climax that will not disappoint. There are many many emotional moments in this film ,but near the end ,when the Airforce pilots son is pleading to his own father not to proceed with his mission, a mission that has been en-grained in his soul to complete no matter what the cost is perhaps the most heart wrenching moment I have experienced in film. I watched this with a heavy heart and was so engrossed that I just sat there at the end of the movie numb from its effects, now thats a great movie.

Tomaroon wrote: ..."when General Bogan and the Russian General are discussing their time... (the 1964 film), here the location has changed to Paris. I really can't see the reason why"The actor did NOT say Paris, he said Persia.The movie was great, the black and white was a great affect (and I'm generally prefer color) and I loved the fact that it was live. I do agree with those who said the lighting was bad, it looked cheaply made but that was because it was supposed to appear to look like the times (like when they make westerns with mostly brown tones, even though everything wasn't brown, it sets the atmosphere for the times). However this person unfairly knocked this movie and was bothered by things that he/she misunderstood (like the name of the city where the two people just missed meeting).See it and judge for yourself.