Starring Dennis Quaid reagan – One of the most polarizing films of the season, insofar as it has been ignored by most mainstream critics. Knowing our audience and where our bread is buttered, we definitely don’t want to be a part of it.
The film depicts the life of Ronald Reagan, played by Quaid, from his youth, through his career as an actor and politician, to his diagnosis with Alzheimer’s disease. Oddly, and interestingly, it is told in flashback by an elderly Soviet official (Jon Voight) and his biographer. This is an unexpected narrative choice that could have been cut, but it doesn’t get in the way (and gives Voight room to work with, which is a plus).
I’ll be honest. I almost missed this until I found out that reagan Directed by cameraman Sean McNamara. Gargames and Three Ninjas at Midday on Mega Mountainand that C. Thomas Howell was in it somewhere.
(What do you want to see? Let me know which one. Incidentally, Howell plays Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger, and he appears halfway through.)
Still, I didn’t have high expectations and when I took my seat, for the first few minutes I was nervous that this was going to be another average or mediocre biopic that lacked style and conviction. It has become. This was created so that a small number of actors could take on the job. Decent check. But I waited, and then the movie started, and then it delved deep into Ronnie’s political life and really started to cook.
Again, at first it seemed like Quaid was here strictly to do a job or do a favor and had no intention of working with challenging material. I was also worried that he would imitate the Great Communicator, and there were certainly some moments like that. But he found a balance that helped add depth to the role, especially when he played opposite Penelope Ann Miller as Nancy Reagan and Alexander Krupa as Mikhail Gorbachev.
Mr. Krupa was another surprise for a Soviet premier known for: glasnost and perestroika. I remember Krupa somehow. home alone 3 Although it definitely doesn’t look the same since he’s been seasoning it for so many years when I was a kid. As Gorbachev, he slips easily into the role of being unrecognizable, opposing America’s rival as an equal, and befriending him.
Their dynamic and the bonds they form are well understood, making the depiction of the famous meeting in Reykjavik even more pointed. Watching the talks break down in a reenactment on screen is like watching it happen in real time.
If there’s a glaring complaint, it might be the overuse of stock footage that looks dated. But McNamara makes good use of it, giving the viewer a solid sense of each era and an opportunity to experiment with montage. In doing so, he gives parts of the film a playful music video feel and an element of satire. The death of the Soviet leader was captured with comical redundancy using the same newsreel of the funeral procession, causing several laughs in the theater.
Returning to Sean McNamara, he is primarily known for direct-to-video family films as well as faith-based films such as: soul surfer. and reaganhe stretches his abilities and creates something that is moving and respectful not only to its subject matter but also to its components. From Penelope Ann Miller as Nancy Reagan to Alexander Krupa as Gorbachev to narrator Jon Voight, it’s clear that there are more people than Dennis Quaid, who stood in for Ronald Reagan. You will walk away understanding.
McNamara has undoubtedly made a great film, and the applause I heard at the end of the screening I attended is proof of that. Whether you’re a young conservative or a lifelong Reagan supporter, go see this. You won’t be disappointed.
