REVIEW: The Conspirator

Robert Redford is usually an immaculate storyteller but this film was far too caught up in political history lessons to really find an emotional center.  The story is an engaging one.  Sadly the screenwriter is no better than the writer of the book Manhunt.  The research writer managed to make the 12-day chase for Lincoln's assassins a wooden and stilted story.  This screenwriter did the same.  (Ironically, their names are James Swanson/Solomon).  The few scenes with believable dialogue were mostly in the courtroom, which I presume were written primarily from trial transcripts.  

James McAvoy, who is generally a very strong actor, underplayed the role. His character is supposed to be a naive, reluctant and novice lawyer, assigned an impossible case, but his moral conviction comes on too late, and far too softly.  He would be fiance, played by Alexis Bledel, wears the clothes well, but has no depth whatsoever.  If she were truly concerned with, or even confused by the trial, she only acted petulant and shortsighted.  No intelligent lawyer would have been with her. 

The best performance is delivered by Robin Wright who inhabits the persecuted Mary Surratt, rather than plays her.  Accused of treason for her part in harboring the assassins in the Lincoln - Seward attacks, she is made a sympathetic character.  Throughout the trial, the audience begins to doubt her complicity in the national tragedy, even if her jury does not.  The evidence brought forward certainly brings up some ideas that she may not have known about the plot that was brewing in her own boarding house parlor.

Redford made a misstep in trying to "youthen" the cast with Justin Long and Bledel.  They did not blend into the ensemble or seem realistic for the time period.  Long gave it a try but he is simply too goofy-looking and Bledel doesn't have the chops to hold her own.  Evan Rachel Wood on the other hand gave the most honest performance of the hodgepodge cast.  Her quiet stubbornness came from within and she was far more convincing as a defiant but restrained Confederate daughter.  Small parts for Tom Wilkinson and Kevin Kline are also not enough carry the weight of others. 

On set, photo by the writer.

The most relevant theme is certainly the treatment of accused enemies of the state.  No one wanted to defend the poor woman.  It was assumed she was guilty and to defend her was career suicide.  Yet there was a case to be made and she deserved to have a proper defense under the American Constitution.  The arguments surrounding the most basic of rights is clearly meant for modern audiences faced with foreign enemies of state.

On set, photo by the writer. 

As a resident of Savannah, it was fascinating to see the homes and streets I know so well look transformed.  And I was excited to watch a scene knowing that I was standing just around the corner, in the shadows as they shouted, "Action."  But all of that isn't enough to make the film truly great.  Lighting was uneven and relatively poor.  Costumes were rather stagy.  And the CGI (limited, thankfully) was obvious.  It was a rather uninspired attempt to tell and otherwise fascinating tale from American history.

On set, photo by the writer.

The Informant!

Based on a memoir/novel/autobiography of a whistleblower at a large chemical company, The Informant! is a quirky comedy that avoids the pitfalls of most similarly-tilted films. Matt Damon plays the protagonist, Mark Whitacre, an uncomfortable chemist at Archer-Daniels-Midland (ADM). He is working to solve a problem with one of their components when he stumbles upon evidence of a price-fixing scheme. He reports his suspicions to the FBI and agrees to spy in order to gather actionable proof.

The casting of this movie is impeccable. Damon draws on the awkwardness (and frightening intelligence) of Tom Ripley, the paranoia of Jason Bourne and the deadpan comedy of the Ocean's franchise to sketch this absurdly funny character. Melanie Lynskey is his sweet, trusting and naive wife with a cutesy voice and perky smile. The combination is so saccharine that if it weren't tongue-in-cheek it would be sickening. There are several character actors and recognizable-but-not-too-famous faces in the group, but the most brilliant piece of casting is Scott Bakula. He plays the (un)lucky FBI agent who picks up case. His portrayal of an overworked, under-appreciated g-man who hates wearing a suit but loves catching bad guys is spot-on. Additionally, the very funny Joel McCale, as Bakula's partner, makes a great foil to the disillusioned agent.

In fact helmer Steven Soderberg manages to make a style out of the hideous Federal office buildings that cropped up in the late 60s and early 70s. Indeed, the film, at times, seems set in the 70s rather than the mid-90s. Decorative cinder blocks, translucent window inserts, floor tiles that look like pebbles were rolled into cement and then cut flush, and molded plastic chairs with uneven feet create an atmosphere of alternate reality in these government buildings. For an Illinoian, one of the most incredible details was the inclusion of Abraham Lincoln in every office interior of the movie. As any native knows, Illinois calls itself the Land of Lincoln and touts this honor with great pride.

This movie is fresh, funny, and quirky - without being full of self-referential insider humor that is too busy being proud of itself to tell a good story.