The Runner

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KEVIN C Nicolas Cage plays a Louisiana politician working for the people when he gets caught up in a scandal and needs to step down from office. Cage is pretty reserved in this role and his character is a whirlwind of good intentions and destructive flaws. We don't get or really need the over the top manic Cage that we're used to seeing. Sometimes we forget that he's actually a pretty great actor as well. Good film that lacks a better hook. Sarah Paulson, Connie Nielsen and Peter Fonda co star. Rated 2.5/5 Stars •  Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 01/02/23 Full Review ronald h _The Runner_ is a political soap opera that doesn't have much originality, but at least it reveals something about how politicians water down their ideologies in order to keep the big money interests happy. Nicholas Cage plays it straight here, no insane antics like we've seen in some of his better films. He plays Colin Pryce, a Louisiana congressman, married to a high powered lawyer (Connie Nielsen). Pryce, an advocate for green energy, is working to expedite BP's compensation to the local working people for their losses due to the 2010 oil spill. Unfortunately, he can't keep a certain organ in his pants, and is exposed for having an affair with a 27 year old lady who is married to a fisherman. The fisherman has lost his business due to the spill. Not looking good. Pryce resigns his office and starts a foundation to help the locals. He also separates from his wife and starts having an affair with his former campaign manager (Sarah Paulson). Meanwhile a BP power broker is trying to convince him to run for senator, offering to finance the campaign-----if Pryce changes his political platform. It's all rather predictable, but pretty well acted, with an especially gritty performance by Peter Fonda as Pryce's cynical father, an ex-mayor of New Orleans. Problems with the film include a wasted setting that doesn't show much of the city, and a rather dispassionate approach to the tragedy of the BP spill. We don't really see or feel the angst of the thousands of people whose living relies on the Gulf waters. Instead, the focus is on Pryce's personal melodrama. The ending is tragic. It makes us hate politics, and it makes us question anybody who has chosen politics as a career. Cage's performance is not bad; it's kind of middle of the road. Maybe we're just not used to seeing him play a non-lunatic. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member I want my time spent watching this movie back. I struggled to stay awake... Rated 1/5 Stars •  Rated 1 out of 5 stars 01/16/23 Full Review Audience Member Another made-in-Louisiana Nic Cage film rolls off the assembly line. However, this one is not about a vengeful father/husband. Cage plays it straight as a flawed politician trying to do good in the aftermath of the BP oil spill. No gonzo Cage freakouts here. Just a ho hum drama with a decent cast. Rated 2.5/5 Stars •  Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 01/27/23 Full Review Audience Member In the aftermath of the 2010 BP oil spill, an idealistic but flawed politician is forced to confront his dysfunctional life after his career is destroyed in a sex scandal. Rated 2.5/5 Stars •  Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 02/21/23 Full Review Audience Member It's hard to stay true to our convictions. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/29/23 Full Review Read all reviews

The Runner

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