The Candidate (click here to add to your queue) is a satirical look at how campaigns in America are run. Robert Redford is the star and he does a great job. I'm a bit of a political junkie that has even worked on a few campaigns so naturally this is a movie I had to give a look. In some ways the movie doesn't really hold up too well. Most movies from the 70's just don't seem to hold up over time and to me it's mostly because of the way those people dressed, it just doesn't look right. Redford plays a Democrat who is up against long odds to win and runs on the premise that he is going to lose so he might as well say what he wants. It's easy to forget that not too long ago the state that brought us Nancy Pelosi also gave us Ronald Reagan and Richard Nixon. It really illustrates how much the country has changed.
What I really found interesting about the film is what hasn't changed in the last 40 years. People are still arguing about abortion, the environment, unemployment and welfare just like they were back in '72. You often hear a lot of outrage in the media about how politicians don't get anything done and that they've sunk to new lows. Politics has always been, and always will be, a dirty business. 40 years later, this film shows just that.
The Standard 5:
Why is it in your queue?
I'm a political junkie.
Is it artsy?
No.
Best thing about the movie?
The similarities between politics then and now.
What mood should I be in to watch this movie?
A political and/or cynical one.
What rating did you give it on Netflix?
3 stars.
why did Netflix's stop streaming this movie?
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