The Big Brass Ring

R

1999

1 hr. 44 min.

Drama

List

57%

7 Reviews

Tomatometer

17%

50+ Ratings

Audience Score

A former senator (Nigel Hawthorne) returns on the eve of his stepson's (William Hurt) gubernatorial election, threatening to reveal dark secrets.

Read More

Read Less

Audience Member

The story is about Blake played by William Hurt who is running for governor when a figure from his past reappears. Kim played by Nigel Hawthorne was Blake's mentor one time and a father figure to him after his dad died in the Korean war; Kim also left the United States when public disclosure of his homosexuality ended his political career. This visit from Kim soon proves less then welcome because when Blake was a teenager, he participated in a photo session organized by Kim in which he was snapped in sexually compromising positions with both a woman and a man. These photos could put a stake through the heart of Blake's life in politics, and Kim soon makes clear this is hardly the only dirt he has on Blake. Kim already has a ready audience for his stories- Cela played by Irene Jacob who is a European reporter looking for scandal, even though she's having an affair with Blake anyway. When his wife played by Miranda Richardson and bodyguard played by Ewan Stewart get wind of Blake's indiscretions, his candidacy becomes a disaster waiting to happen. This movie is apparently based of an unproduced screenplay written by the late Orson Welles. This movie has a great idea for a story and while it does, it fails to impress me with it even with it's Over 18 rating. I do give it points for being tense like a old-fashioned thriller but that's about it. The Big Brass Ring gets a 5/10.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

02/22/23

Full Review

Audience Member

There was so much going on here it would've been better served as a tv show. Irene Jacobs was severely miscast. Based upon one of Orson Welles' last projects.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

02/17/23

Full Review

Audience Member

William Hurt is good and the story is okay, but the film often feels as if it would be more at home on Lifetime.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

01/19/23

Full Review

Read all reviews

Post a rating

George Hickenlooper

Director

William Hurt

Blake

Nigel Hawthorne

Kim

Miranda Richardson

Dinah

Irène Jacob

Cela

Ewan Stewart

Kinzel

Show Less Cast & Crew

Show More Cast & Crew

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

View more photos

Walter Goodman

New York Times

Given the estimable players snared in ''The Big Brass Ring,'' a viewer might be reasonably confident that at least one of them would have a clue as to what is going on, but if so the secret remains safe.

Nov 30, 2017

Full Review

Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Rated: 2/5

Jul 24, 2005

Full Review

Philip Martin

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Rated: 3/5

Jul 29, 2002

Full Review

Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat

Spirituality & Practice

Director George Hickenlooper has changed some of the elements in Welles's story while still retaining its focus on politics, power, and secrets from the past.

Mar 5, 2002

Full Review

Christopher Null

Filmcritic.com

Rated: 3/5

Jan 1, 2000

Full Review

Sean Axmaker

Nitrate Online

"The Big Brass Ring" is not a Welles film. It's a George Hickenlooper film, and a good one.

Jan 1, 2000

Full Review

Read all reviews

Synopsis

A former senator (Nigel Hawthorne) returns on the eve of his stepson's (William Hurt) gubernatorial election, threatening to reveal dark secrets.

Director: George Hickenlooper
Executive Producer: Samuel Hadida, Avi Lerner, Danny Dimbort, Trevor Short, John Thompson, Willi Bär, Boaz Davidson
Screenwriter: F.X. Feeney
Production Co: Millennium Films
Rating: R
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 2, 2017
Sound Mix: Surround