Did the best man win?

There isn't really any reason for the film 'Recount,' about the fallout in Florida after the 2000 Presidential election, to exist. It might've been pretty interesting as a documentary, but Michael Moore covered the subject matter rather well in the first ten minutes of Fahrenheit 9/11. Of course, everyone knows how it'll turn out, so it's a bit heavy when they try and make it suspenseful.

Oh no! Gore's about to concede! But there's new information that all isn't right in Florida! Quick! Someone stop him! It's the guy with the limp who has to rush to stop him! Will he make it! He fell over! Quick! Get up!

This story doesn't really translate too well as a drama. It's a story of motions, stays, appeals, statutes, judges - and even as a law student, I found all that language boring. In one cab ride, two of the lawyers use sentences like "It's Kennedy who'll be the hardest to win over", this can't be interesting to anyone can it?

This isn't a story about people or their interactions. Kevin Spacey's turn as Gore's campaign head Ron Klain is the closest we have to some sort of dramatic back-story, and so that's played up. Acting-wise, everyone's okay. Denis Leary sort of plays himself. Laura Dern is terrific as Katherine Harris, treading the line between evil incarnate and batshit insanity. It's nice to see Tom Wilkinson and Bob Balaban work together again after the monstrosity that was 'Dedication'.

Ultimately, I suppose the film was alright - it plodded along competently. It was nice to see my old hometown, Tallahassee featured prominently; and my friend Tim got a gig as a set assistant, so fair play to him. But I just felt like it was an unnecessary exercise.

1 comments:

Lauren said...
on

We really should have visited the set while we were in town. We could have been set crashers! I'll be Owen Wilson; you can have Vince Vaughn.

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