Tonight, Saturday, March 10, on HBO,at 9 pm Eastern, is the much talked about new movie "Game Change". Though the trailer makes it seem like Game Change is an issue of Sarah Palin's role in the McCain run for the Presidency. The pure fact of the apropos matter is the Game Change book is denoted by their authors (John Heilemann and Mark Halperin) as the - "Obama and the Clintons, McCain and Palin, and the Race of a Lifetime"
It is a star studded movie by HBO, with a cast of profuse great talent. So much so, Ed Harris is playing John McCain (giving too much good looks for the part), Woody Harrelson is playing Steve Schmidt (McCain's senior campaign manager) and Julianne Moore is Sarah Palin. In almost an eerie way, Julianne Moore dam near looks like so much like Sarah Palin and Woody Harrelson said he often could not tell the difference.
Though HBO has done many great works, there are some times that one has to wonder what side of the fence the premium network rest's upon. Some of you may have seen the previous politico movie entitled "Too Big To Fail". The fact of the matter is Too Big to Fail is a puff piece that failed to address the larger issue that GMAC and Chrysler got huge bailouts and they were owned by Cerberus Capital. That being said, I loved what HBO did with "Recount" and "Gasland"
With that note, here is the trailer - and we are going to speculate below the squiggy thingy on - whether or not - one should waste time watching HBO's Game Change.
As far as reviews go, I am encouraged to watch the movie because McCain and Palin are already refusing to watch it. That is 1 qualifier. The next qualifier is the fact that Palin's staff snubbed the book and complained profusely. As seen in the Washington Post atory "Sarah Palin lashes out at media"- it remarked that Palin's associate says;
“Look with your own eyes at what she and her family have endured...” said former Palin spokeswoman Meg Stapleton. “Any lesser man would have hanged himself by now"
Everyone in the Palin and McCain camps, including staffers, etc - claim that the book is fiction and therefore the movie (which none of them has seen) - must be worse. They are lashing out at former McCain campaign manager Steve Schmidt, because he says the film is "accurate". As denoted in the WaPo article, Schmidt is quoted;
“The movie was, for me, a powerful rendering of an extremely intense experience that I went through, and I think the movie shows Sarah Palin in all of her complexities – a person of great talent and great strength on the one hand, but also a person who wasn’t prepared for the job she was nominated for,” Schmidt told The Fix. “The movie explains how that happened and why that happened.”
Here are some more reviews provide by Andrew Kreig and his Justice Integrity Project story "
Palin Played Tough 2008 Role". Mr. Kreig also links to several other reviews as follows;
Related News Coverage
CNN
CNN, 'Game Change' actors dish on Palin, portrayals and politics, Sally Holland, March , 12, 2012. Actress Julianne Moore, who portrays former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin in the HBO movie Game Change, said she was surprised to learn how disorganized the McCain-Palin campaign was in 2008. “I really had an assumption that things were more organized than they are,” she told CNN on the red carpet before a screening at the Newseum in Washington. “I think this campaign was notorious for being a difficult one and one that was pretty disorganized,” she said. Palin and McCain turned down interview requests by movie director Jay Roach, so he said he used the reporting by Halperin and Heilemann along with voice recordings of Palin reading her own books to make the story as authentic as possible. “(The voice recordings) added a whole other layer of empathy for me,” he said. “It actually added a few details. When she calls her son in Iraq in the middle of the election, it’s very moving.”
PEOPLE MAGAZINE
People Magazine, Julianne Moore Nails Sarah Palin in Game Change: Review, Tom Gliatto, March 9, 2012. No one doubted that Julianne Moore would nail the physical details playing Sarah Palin in Game Change, about the Alaska governor's astonishing explosion on the political scene in 2008 as John McCain’s running mate. So, yes, she does "the voice," which is flat yet nasal. But that's just the starting point. Moore is an unusual actress: At her best -- and she is here -- she's completely empathetic but also mysteriously remote. Her Palin from moment to moment is absolutely real -- but always open to interpretation. Members of the "lame-stream media," as Palin famously labeled them, will enjoy the satirical touches that glint like light off her spectacles. (When Palin finally pronounces Ahmadinejad correctly, the campaign staff applauds.)
HUFFINGTON POST
Huffington Post / Gossip Center, Julianne Moore Premieres “Game Change” In Washington DC, (Video) March 9, 2012. Video Enjoying her time in the Nation’s Capital City, Julianne Moore was spotted at the premiere of her new film “Game Change” in Washington DC last night (March 8). Joined by costar Sarah Paulson and co-authors of the book “Game Change” Mark Halperin and John Heilemann, the Forgotten actress looked magnificent in a green dress with gold heels. Enjoy the pictures of Julianne Moore at the 'Game Change' premiere in Washington, DC.
As for me - I am going to watch it. Love Ed Harris, Woody Harrelson and adore Julianne Moore. At least I will be able to comment upon it, from a more knowledgeable standpoint/ view.
However, I am going to leave the review and follow up story to another DK'r and all of us in the comment sections. Meanwhile, I close with the actors reflections
UPDATE
Thanks to commentor AnnetteK from the U.K.
here's a great link and separate insight from someone other than Schmidt
I won't be able to see it in the UK.
Must see in my humble opinion.
Here is a link to a discussion between Geoffrey Dunn (author of a Palin expose) and an Alaskan blogger who holds no love for Palin.
Dunn has seen the film and gives an overview in the discussion.
http://theimmoralminority.blogspot.com/...
Dunn: I mean, Nicolle Wallace described Palin as “cuckoo for Coco Puffs.” We know how she feels. Schmidt is far more careful, but he has clearly stated Palin is “unfit for the presidency.” Some of those other McCain operatives, like Rick Davis, are still closely associated with John McCain. Other’s like Jason Recher are still on Palin’s payroll. And the others are simply afraid to go on the record. I spoke to several people from the McCain campaign who are afraid of Palin. As you know, Palin’s minions are a vicious lot. They have gone after Schmidt. And they will go after Game Change . But I think the film will solidify in the public’s mind how dangerous and irresponsible the Palin selection really was. That’s why the Palin pushback has been so hard. This film will seriously push down Palin’s favorability ratings even further—and they are already astonishingly low
Let's face it, when McCain selected a woman - everyone here and elsewhere went WOW or Uh Oh.... It was a brilliant political strategy. However, there were many, many more intelligent women, accomplished women and who has it all together women - than Sarah Palin. But the pick of Palin has given us great fodder (even now with her Limbaugh support) and is Entertainment.
As for me, I am glad he did not pick someone like Elizabeth Warren....
who knows where we would be now.
UPDATE - AFTER the Movie discussion Diary..
10:08 PM PT: Link to a Post Movie review and comments
Don't agree with them - but it saves me doing another piece..
http://www.dailykos.com/...