Mar 22, 2008 12:56 AM
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The Sentinel
Means a person who is employed to GUARD an amy camp, or any other place particularly from "SURPRISE"!
It has a deep meaning because you never knew that this is what SENTINEL meant and two is because its very uncommon sight in our country.
Any Michael Douglas film is a sure fire thriller because he loves to play the underdog, the oppressed, the stalked, the good guy wrong has happened to. But its always interesting to watch the emotion the screenplay and the taut direction that all his films generally posses.
Michael plays the FRAMEDprotagonist here and he plays it to the core. He has a natural flair about his personality to portray a diplomat, an FBI agent, a filthy rich businessman et al with a lot of flambuoyance and aplomb. In short any producer whosigns Douglas is sure of laughing all the way to his bank!
Direector Clark Johnson,who is an accomplished actor has had a great time directing NYPD Blues, West Wing etc on TV,took his dig at a film and really guardedthe theme well.
Here he opens the film with a murder of an agent who whispers in Peter Garrisson's(Michael Douglas) ears that he wanted to talk to him! What di he want to talk about? Was it another assasination OR was it a link to the attempt that happened years ago? Peter is stillthe Sentinel to the President on the seat,Ballantine, and has taken a bullet guardingRonal Reagan in 1981. Ballantine's (David Rasche)wife Sarah(Kim Basinger)looks a YUMMY MUMMY and yes, she is having a veryHOT **affair with Peter!
As with most Douglas films, he is subjected to a score of acid tests to prove his mettle and his faithfulness to the system. Unfortunately Peter fails to qualify for a Lie Detector test when he is asked"Have you done anything to endanger the President?". He thinks about his passionate night of lust with the First Lady and finds himself facing the wrath of his long time friend and colleague David Breckinridge(Kiefer Sutherland), who is an ace investigator himself!
With the entire Secret Service looking for him, Garrison busts loose, goes underground, and uses all of his skills as an agent to stay free while trying to contact his informer and singlehandedly stop the plot to kill the president. A deadline is approaching, because Ballentine is scheduled to attend a summit in Toronto, where he might be a prime target. All of this might sound very cliched and very typical of a Douglas film but mind you all the details of the plot have been worked out so minutely that you feel that you are watching the expertsat their best. Technicl details, the hierarchy, the red tapes have all been placed so well that your heart goes out to the guy who had once taken a bullet for the then President himself. Such is the democratic heavy hand of the Government that you know at the end of all this harrowing thrill, the underdog must win!You actually want him to.
Michaels character does a lot of quick thinking, acts tough and takes decisions that would well make him fall. But he is or rather has been a super sleuth. Sutherland is quick, and coldly efficient as a super-sleuth.Eva Longoria plays Jill, his new trainee, who he prefers to a veteran agent because she's still fresh and hasn't been worn down by the job. All these characters ad to the spice and the taut drama been enacted in front of you. Unfortunately Kim Basinger remains only a good lookingdish waiting to be devouredby Michael whenever he finds time!
If you ask me if I will ever watch the same films being made timea and again? I would say YES. At a time when audiences seem grateful for the opportunity to watch and enjoy mindless horror trash, it is encouraging that thrillers like these are still doing the rounds of theatres all over and are still being made about characters who have a definite identity, a definite plan and of course thr First Lady to motivate you!
The cinematographer Gabriel Beristain,who has incedentally also choreographed the cinematography of another of my fav films The Invisible,takes you through a path of well lit, fast steadicam work with great outdoors which only enhance and heighten the pleasure of watching such clean taut thrillers!
EN GUARDE! this is one film that inspite of being a film that gives you a feeling of been there and done that type, gives you enough food to savour the fine acting skills of Michael Douglas, Keifer Sutherland and Eva Longoria.
Have you ever wondered why Michael Douglas never ever has any maligning issues about him? Ask Catherine Zeta Jones. If the chemistry of Kim Basinger and Michael is anything to go by, then be a **SENTINEL!
