Well fans I must say for a slow and disappointing summer for films it is a breath of fresh air to find a movie that brings life back into a season long forgotten. ?The Manchurian Candidate? is that movie. With a stunning cast and brilliant script (based on the novel by Richard Condon), the film was as poignant as it was intense. Although not a far cry off from the original 1962 political thriller starring Frank Sinatra, the current film successfully modernizes a classic amid speculation that it would scathe what was thought to have been an untouchable classic. Our story takes place in 2004 not unlike the U.S.?s current status approaching an election time with the backdrop of War and fear in our midst. Ben Marco (Washington) is a Gulf War veteran who suffers from heinous and frightening nightmares about his past. Throughout the film he makes drastic attempts to connect the pieces of his memory in a never-ending puzzle of mystery and suspense. Liev Schreiber plays a Vice Presidential nominee, fellow Gulf War veteran and friend of Marco who, with a JFK-like demeanor and popularity, is quietly and masterfully controlled by his twisted mother (played by Meryl Streep) who coincidently is herself a Senator.

Director Jonathan Demme elegantly laces this updated version with necessary A-list acting while staying true to the classic film. Washington is at his best as we see him play the role of vulnerable hero similar to his performance in ?Courage Under Fire?. Schreiber is excellent in portraying a quiet yet powerful character and Streep is unmatched as a dark and sinister Senator. Their Mother-Son relationship reminds the viewer of Anthony Perkins Mother-obsessive character in ?Psycho? with a twist of an Oedipus complex.

Bottom-Line: This is truly a film to see during a summer than could easily be summed up as sub-par at best. The acting, writing, and directing are all combined to make ?The Manchurian Candidate? a winner, making it a must on the summer hit-list.

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