The Independent - Complotto per la Casa Bianca

I really enjoyed 90% of the movie. It had some powerful acting and an interesting storyline. However, John Cena should never have been cast. I like the guy and think he's incredibly talented in what he's good at but for this part it's a resounding no. The female candidate was also a bit iffy which is a shame to the rest of an outstanding ensemble. It's movies like this that make me really frustrated. It must be clear to the director, other actors, producers, post production etc. That it didn't work but they went ahead with it anyway. When a company knows talent like Jodie Turner-Smith and Brian Cox, how can they accept second rate performances from others? Either do it right or not at all.

I'm not even eight minutes into this movie, and they've given John Cena some kind of soliloquy as a presidential candidate. His smirky face and is absolutely horrible delivery of lines makes me want to turn this movie off right away. John Cena is a horrible actor.

He's actually good in the wrestling ring when he delivers what they call "promos" in the wrestling world. He has passion, grit, and what he calls "ruthless aggression:. It makes for good TV and good face against heel tension. But as an actor in any movie I've seen him in, it's been a disaster. He's not even good at action movies. The only movie I ever liked him in was Amy's Schumer's Trainwreck. That's because Judd Apatow cast him correctly for comic relief of an empty headed muscleman.

Talented young Journalist Eli James uncovers an Earth shattering truth about

For a so called thriller, this really did lack one element, thrills. From the outset it seemed as though it was going to be a slick, fast paced thriller full of subterfuge and intrigue, sadly it was just boring.

I wasn't keen on the production of this film, it looked and felt a little cheap, like a made for TV thriller that ends up showing on a Sunday afternoon slot some time in April.

I stuck it out until the end, hoping for it to get better, and wanting it to get better, personally I think it flatlined quite early on, and never sparked into anything.

Brian Cox has always been a good actor, and he did a good job, albeit within the confines of the script. If I'm honest, I watched this primarily because I wanted to see how good Jodie Turner Smith was following on from the ill fated Anne Boleyn series. I thought Jodie was ok, again hampered by the average script.

4/10.

A good movie thriller. Not a nail-biter, but good. Taking "All The President's Men" into a 2024 theme, the film again takes newspaper snooping and finds a snake. This time, the Republican party. The acting and production values leads you to believe your watching one of those fast turnaround Lifetime movies but it is a bit more refined. While picking on the Republicans, the film really does not make a political statement. This film is watchable but you need some open mind to tolerate it. It reminds us that Gen X is the future and old suiters are on the way out. It tells us that politics is and always will be untrustworthy and those with the most toys will try to win. Money buys power and power means well power. The Independent keeps you interested if you can overlook some bad acting, a few plotholes, and perhaps some far reaching theories that make you go "Really?"

This film says too much and shows too little. It's political message is confused between central rationalism of the Washington press and the main character to the point where it's bordering on hypocritical. Her narrative is one pointed towards the ultimate good, an ultimate good which is presented as in conflict with democracy. Whilst the film does well to question the viewer in whether they believe in democracy even when an alternative leader will indisputably be better than those democratically elected, it does nothing to justify democracy as good. Both leads are good, Cox is magnetic as usual, the other main characters provide decent foil though lack substance themselves to the extent that they are forgettable entirely once finished watching. It's plot is formulaic with little to no unpredictability. It fulfils its basic objective of being a film and making sense. It offers little more than that, contributes nothing artistically and asks half baked questions.