Film Snail

6.5

The Manchurian Candidate

R·2004·129m

Drama

Thriller

Mystery

Drama

Thriller

Mystery

Summary

Years after his squad was ambushed during the Gulf War, Major Ben Marco finds himself having terrible nightmares. He begins to doubt that his fellow squad-mate Sergeant Raymond Shaw, now a vice-presidential candidate, is the hero he remembers him being. As Marco's doubts deepen, Shaw's political power grows, and, when Marco finds a mysterious implant embedded in his back, the memory of what really happened begins to return.

Cast

Denzel Washington

Major Bennett Ezekiel Marco

Meryl Streep

Senator Eleanor Prentiss Shaw (D-VA)

Liev Schreiber

Congressman Raymond Prentiss Shaw (D-NY)

Simon McBurney

Dr. Atticus Noyle

Kimberly Elise

Rosie

Bruno Ganz

Delp

Jon Voight

Senator Thomas Jordan (D-CT)

Jeffrey Wright

CPL Al Melvin

Anthony Mackie

PFC Robert Baker III

Ted Levine

Colonel Howard

Miguel Ferrer

Colonel Garret

Dean Stockwell

Mark Whiting

Vera Farmiga

Jocelyne Jordan

Pablo Schreiber

PFC Eddie Ingram

Jude Ciccolella

David Donovan

Obba Babatundé

Senator Wells

Zeljko Ivanek

Vaughn Utly

Paul Lazar

Gillespie

John Bedford Lloyd

Jay "J.B." Johnston

Tom Stechschulte

Governor Robert "Bob" Arthur

BeBe Winans

FBI Agent Williams

Robyn Hitchcock

Laurent Tokar

Charles Napier

General Sloan

David Keeley

Shaw's Bodyguard-Agent

Alyson Renaldo

Mirella Freeman

Dorian Missick

Owens

Jose Pablo Cantillo

Villalobos

Teddy Dunn

Wilson

Joaquin Perez-Campbell

Atkins

Tim Artz

Jameson

Antoine Taylor

Boy Scout #1

Joe Alessi

Boy Scout #2

Raymond Anthony Thomas

Scout Dad

Bill Irwin

Scoutmaster

Al Franken

TV Commentator

Danny Darst

Ellie's Mysterious Aide

Stephanie McBride

Political Aide

Molly Hickok

Political Aide

Victoria Haynes

Political Aide

Adam LeFevre

Congressman Healy

Roger Corman

Mr. Secretary

Leona E. Sondreal

Green Room Official #2

Jim Roche

Senator from Florida

Ann Dowd

Congresswoman Beckett

Harry Northup

Congressman Flores

James B. Howard

Self

Walter Mosley

Congressman Rawlins

Gordon Brummer

"Gordy"

Gayle King

Media Icon

Brad Holbrook

Newscaster #7

Stacey Newsome Santiago

Roving Reporter

Kristen Shaughnessy

Newscaster #4

Prue Lewarne

Newscaster #8

Forrest Sawyer

Newscaster #1

Ukee Washington

Newscaster #9

Ed Crane

Newscaster #6

Kaity Tong

Newscaster #2

Roma Torre

Newscaster #3

William Meisle

Tyler Prentiss

Dan Olmstead

Senator John Shaw

Sakina Jaffrey

Mysterious Arabic Woman

Robert W. Castle

General Wilson

John Aprea

Rear Admiral Glick

Jane DeNoble

Robert Arthur's Wife

Christopher M. Russo

Secret Service Agent #1

Michael C. Pierce

Secret Service Agent #2

Marin Ireland

Army Transcriber

Glen Hartell

Army Transcriber

Tracey Walter

Night Clerk

Edwidge Danticat

Rosie's Cousin

Kenneth Utt

Rosie's Cousin's Mentor

Enrique Correa

Reporter #2

David Neumann

Reporter #3

Neda Armian

Reporter #4

Paul Johnson

Campaign Security

James McCauley

FBI Agent Jonas

Darrell Larson

FBI Agent Ramirez

Kate Valk

Agent Volk

Beau Sia

Late Night Comedian

Duana C. Butler

Library Clerk

Big Jim Wheeler

Library Patron

Lauren Roselli

Jordan's Aide

Stephen Richardson

Jordan's Aide

Shing Ka

Rosie's Sidekick

Malcolm Simpson

Yelling Kid

Cassius Kumar Wilkinson

"Abe Lincoln"

Jos Demme

"Statue of Liberty"

Gabriela Fung

"Betsy Ross"

Denzel Delahoussaye

"George Washington"

Aaron Scoenfeld

"Uncle Sam"

Geovonne Long

"MLK"

Jonathan Borst

"JFK"

Michael Shehata

"American Eagle"

Tom Chapin

Governor Edward Nelson

Lewis 'Jiggs' Walker

Churchgoer

Joey Perillo

Jimmy

Buzz Kilman

The Guy with the Shades

Marie Runyon

Arthur's Mother

Eliza Simpson

Arthur's Child

Julie Adamy

Arthur's Child

Andre B. Blake

Victory Party Director

Tymberly Canale

Victory Party Celebrity Soldier

Lilly McDowell

Shaw's Aide

Joshua Elrod

Shaw's Aide

Craig Branham

Klaus Bachman

Sidney Lumet

Political Pundit

Reno

Political Pundit

Anna Deavere Smith

Political Pundit

Roy Blount Jr.

Political Pundit

Fab 5 Freddy

Political Pundit

Crew

Director

Jonathan Demme

Novel

Richard Condon

Screenplay

Dean Georgaris

Screenplay

Daniel Pyne

Script Editor

Mary Tobler

Story Editor

Narges Takesh

Reviews

Geronimo1967

November 5, 2022

This remake was always going to struggle to match the excellent 1962 version, and although it is not nearly as compelling, it is still an half decent attempt. Liev Schreiber is acclaimed Gulf War veteran and now Congressman "Raymond Shaw" who is very much in the running for Vice-President of the USA - egged on by his even more ambitious Senator mother (Meryl Streep). Meantime, his wartime captain "Marco" (Denzel Washington) is recovering from an injury sustained during an ambush - only he is struggling to reconcile his memories of that event with those being put forward by "Shaw" and, almost verbatim, by his fellow soldiers. Upon more detailed investigation, "Marco" stumbles upon the most unique of conspiracies that calls him to question not just his own sanity, but the nature of events both past and present. The more he digs, the more doors close before him and pretty soon both he and we know that there is some sort of conspiracy that goes right to the heart of American democracy. The story has been updated from the original and that helps it to stand on it's own a bit more. Washington is effective, as is Schreiber as the plot thickens and the prospects of a terrifying form of psychological warfare begin to loom large, presenting us with a story of manipulation and power-lust that is distinctly Machiavellian. Meryl Streep does OK, but sadly her's is the role that comes off worst by comparison with Angela Lansbury from first time round. The former is undoubtedly an accomplished actress, but somehow she doesn't quite exude the same degree of toxic charm. It also really does take it's time to get going, but once in it's stride it offers us quite an intriguing, if wordy, look at just how the American political establishment might work, and how it might, equally, be up for shrewd exploitation. It's a solid effort and worth a watch, but original is definitely much more sinister and best!