Advise And Consent
Robert Leffingwell is the president's candidate for Secretary of State. Prior to his approval, he must first go through a Senate investigation to determine if he's qualified. Leading the Senate committee is idealistic Senator Brig Anderson, who soon finds himself unprepared for the political dirt that's revealed, including Leffingwell's past affiliations with a Communist organization. When Leffingwell testifies about his political leanings, he proves his innocence. Later, however, Anderson learns that he lied under oath and even asks the president to withdraw Leffingwell for consideration, especially after the young senator begins receiving blackmail threats about a skeleton in his own closet.
Member Reviews
cinemascope extravaganza - Perceval
One of the best black and white cinemascope films ever made in America. Absolutely indispensable for anyone interested in experiencing the effect of mise-en-scene in engineering dramatic tension. As the script is as dense as the visual storytelling, this film is incredibly intense and loaded with some of the truly "breathtaking" moments. Andrew Sarris puts it among Preminger's "four masterpieces of ambiguity and objectivity." It would be difficult to come up with a more appropriate observation.Skip it - kevinm
This movie bored me stiff. By the time you figure out who is who and what is what, you just don't care... With all the stars it has and a first class director as Otto Preminger, you wonder what went wrong. I had never heard of this film before zip.ca, and now I know why...Too many stars, not enough drama - MovieBug
This is similar to the Longest Day, also released in 1962, in that it has a substantial number of amost-cameo appearances by well known stars. In this case, Pigeon, Fonda, Laughton, Tierny, Lawford, Tone, Burgess Meredith, Paul Ford, and many others.
Laughton and Pigeon have decent, if not wooden, performances. Laughton as a Southern Senator is a bit of a stretch, which he could pull off better if he were given some decent lines and a more narrow plot. With this many stars vying for attention, the plot suffers badly. Fonda's role as a potential Presidential appointee having to go through Senate hearings is almost incidental to the sub-plot of Don Murray's character dealing with a past secret relationship.
Like the Longest Day, this movie seems to be a procession of stars delivering lines, versus a play that will draw you in and entertain.
Member Reviews
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cinemascope extravaganza - Perceval
One of the best black and white cinemascope films ever made in America. Absolutely indispensable for anyone interested in experiencing the effect of mise-en-scene in engineering dramatic tension. As the script is as dense as the visual storytelling, this film ...Skip it - kevinm
This movie bored me stiff. By the time you figure out who is who and what is what, you just don't care... With all the stars it has and a first class director as Otto Preminger, you wonder what went wrong. I had never heard of this film before zip.ca, and ...Too many stars, not enough drama - MovieBug
This is similar to the Longest Day, also released in 1962, in that it has a substantial number of amost-cameo appearances by well known stars. In this case, Pigeon, Fonda, Laughton, Tierny, Lawford, Tone, Burgess Meredith, Paul Ford, and many others.
Laughton ...