Advise and Consent

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acsdoug D J found the story a little dull. However, the acting is excellent - including the final performance of the great Charles Laughton - and I found the speechifying on the Senate floor to be rather well done. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/25/24 Full Review Shioka O Early 60s political drama. It's not thrilling like the late 60s-70s political conspiracy/dramas came after. I think this is more like a realistic satire, but I don't want to believe if reality is like this. Unfortunately timing is dull, even when something is happening. Rated 2.5/5 Stars •  Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 01/16/23 Full Review steve d Not believable in the least. Rated 1/5 Stars •  Rated 1 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member Advise & Consent is a fascinating look at the inner workings of the United States Senate. I like the exploration of both the formality of proceedings when they are in session and the informality of what can go on behind the scenes. All the back-stabbing and secret deals that we see in the film kept me on my toes. I never knew which way this story was headed, and that’s always refreshing. I also find it fascinating that almost 60 years ago they were also dealing with some of the difficulties that come with our two-party system, and had to confront the fact that personal vendettas and pettiness can get in the way of Senators doing what their constituents might actually desire. It’s more than a little depressing because it doesn’t fill me with much hope for our nation when we are stuck in these troubling times, but at least seeing it played out in a film this way feels informative. Advise & Consent is a real ensemble piece. There are times when we will follow one character for a few minutes to see the part they would play in this vote, but it never locks in on one person long enough to have a true protagonist. This added to the element of surprise, making it even harder to predict which way the story might go. There were a number of powerful scenes that I loved, and those made up for some of the slower scenes where it felt like we were getting stuck in the tedium of Senate procedures. I did find that the end of the film was a bit too convenient, which made it seem contrived. It’s certainly the appropriate Hollywood ending, but in real life it is rare that things would time out as perfectly as we see here. That being said, the story of Advise & Consent is still a good one, and this film feels entertaining and maybe just a little educational at the same time. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 07/01/20 Full Review Audience Member The best courtroom movie ever made! Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/26/23 Full Review Audience Member Otto Preminger's look at machinations in the US Senate is full of tension and intrigue, as Charles Laughton's crusty southern senator seeks to sink the confirmation of Henry Fonda as Secretary of State. Fonda's character has been nominated by the possibly dying president (Franchot Tone) and his friend, the Senate Majority Leader (an excellent Walter Pidgeon), must work to get the votes lined up. When the confirmation moves to a subcommittee chaired by Utah Senator Brig Anderson (Don Murray), Laughton finds a witness (Burgess Meredith) to testify that Fonda once belonged to a communist discussion group. Meanwhile, another Senator (George Grizzard) has his own axe to grind when he isn't made the subcommittee chair. Peter Lawford, Lou Ayres, Will Geer, and Gene Tierney round out the starry cast. To tell more would probably be criminal - the screenplay based on Allen Drury's novel has a lot of twists and turns. Of course, there are clear links to real US politics - particularly the red-baiting tactics of Joe McCarthy; to that end, it is worth noting that Preminger selected Burgess Meredith and Will Geer for the cast because they had been blacklisted themselves. As always, Preminger seeks to break some taboos with his film - and again that particular plot twist is drawn from an actual event in US politics. This was Laughton's last film and he goes out with a nicely observed caricature. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/04/23 Full Review Read all reviews

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