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Manchurian Candidate, The (2004)

In the 2004 subliminally anti-Bush update of the anti-McCarthyism classic of the same name, Denzel Washington plays Captain Ben Marco, a Desert Storm veteran with persistent nightmares about a past incident during the war. In the new version of the film, the Manchurian Candidate, Raymond Shaw (Liev Schreiber), is brain-washed by the company Manchurian Global to eliminate anything that stands in the way of his becoming "the first privately-owned Vice President." An appropriate update for the times, Shaw is now brainwashed into leading the country rather than brainwashed specifically to murder.

Denzel Washington, typically, plays the convincing role of the troubled, alone, paranoid Captain Marco. As his sanity teeters over the edge, it seems everyone is against him, and there's no way to prove what he knows is true. Reality blends with hallucinations, as he struggles to discern lies from truth and who to believe, creating a sharp tension, lasting throughout the movie. Up-and-comer Kimberly Elise (who also played the role of Washington's wife in John Q) plays the role of Marco's girlfriend. Great things are in store for Elise, who displays tremendous talent in the movie.

Meryl Streep takes us by surprise with her role as Eleanor Shaw, the manipulative, power-obsessed, over-protective mother with a "Jocasta" complex. While she's most known for roles as endearing mothers or strong saintly women, she proves that she can play a domineering senator just as well. Though it's somewhat disappointing to see our beloved Meryl play such a villain, she defines her range once again. Liev Schreiber is her pawn of a son, Raymond Shaw, who has been tweaked and brainwashed beyond any real, certain emotions, which Schreiber pulls off very well.

While the film was obviously tailored to fit current political situations (there is a brief mention of "the war against terror"), audiences who can go into it without expectations, will be equally entertained. Admittedly, this reviewer has not yet seen the original version, which probably helps in going into the movie without preconceptions, seeing it for what it is on its own. If you don't want to see an "anti-Bush" movie, see it because it's a great psychological thriller. Anyone who's disappointed in this movie is just being stubborn.

Written by: Savannah Bobo

Reviewers Rating: 9
Reader's Rating: 7.33
Reader's Votes: 3

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