Not Coming to a Theater Near You

Advise and Consent / USA / 1962

Otto Preminger’s 1962 film Advise and Consent is exhausting in scope, utilizing 139 minutes to explore a plethora of ever-shifting subjects: An executive nominee for Secretary of State, a closeted gay Senator, Communism in America, presidential succession, vindictive conservativism and blind hypocritical liberalism, the gyre that is Congressional bureaucracy, American democracy, and so on. And while the film’s outlook is painted skillfully between optimism and downright despair—the final minute is a confounding moment, as it’s both uplifting and heartbreaking—Preminger follows through with brilliant performances, many of them occupying exiguous amounts of screen time: Charles Laughton, Burgess Meredith, Franchot Tone, Gene Tierney, Lew Ayres, Walter Pidgeon, George Grizzard, Inga Swenson, Don Murray, Betty White (Congress’ lone female senator) and Henry Fonda. Each is a scarred, burdened, emotionally complex figure seemingly burned into the celluloid.

by Adam Balz | Source: Warner DVD
06 Apr 2007 9:53 AM | Comments (1)

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1. Tyree / 6 April 2007 / 12:57 PM

   This one started out superbly but ended rather melowdramatically. I loved Pidgeon’s and Laughton’s performances. The first half is compelling. The last third far less so. People often dub this film the best of all American political dramas but I’m not sure if this is till the case. City Hall, The Manchurian Candidate, All The King’s Men and few others come to mind.