Worst2First: My Top Ten Political Dramas
Worst2First:
My Top Ten Political Dramas
**THERE WILL BE NO SPOILERS**
#10
Miss Sloane
You'd never think a film about a lobbyist who goes against the gun industry as something exciting or intriguing, but thanks to Jessica Chastain it's both of those things and more. Chastain delivers a once-in-a-lifetime performance as the steely, no-holds-barred, win at any cost Elizabeth Sloane, a lobbyist who joins a small, ragtag group of people who back a law that imposes regulations on firearms. This causes her to get some very powerful enemies, and how she maneuvers through is a true sight to behold.
#9
Milk
Winning two Oscars (including Best Actor), "Milk," directed by Gus Van Sant, tells the true life story of Harvey Milk, the first openly gay elected official in San Francisco in 1978. During a time where people feared being outed, Milk was loud and proud and worked diligently for advocating gay rights. He was before his time, and helped set the stage for the acceptance the LGBTQ community has been slowly gaining ever since. Sean Penn gives a tremendous performance about a man who braved the status quo and changed the world.
#8
Frost/Nixon
Based off the famed (and some say infamous) interview between British television host David Frost (Michael Sheen) and Richard Nixon (Frank Langella) three years after the Watergate scandal forced Nixon to resign in disgrace. The two men go into the interview planning on catching the other off guard, and the result is a film that takes place between two men, in a battle of wits as huge as they come, and Langella's Oscar-nominated performance leaves you thinking you're actually watching Richard Nixon on screen. The film was also nominated for four more Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director for Ron Howard.
#7
Argo
Winning the Oscar for Best Picture, "Argo" tells the incredibly true story of extractor Tony Mendez (Ben Affleck, who also directed), who goes into Iran to rescue six American refugees during a militant attack by posing as a Hollywood producer, sent there to film a science fiction epic. They even brought in Hollywood elites to write a script, set a production office and even planted fake stories in magazines to sell the lie. It works perfectly for a Hollywood film because it's so outlandish it couldn't be true - but it was. The film also features standout performances from John Goodman, Bryan Cranston and Alan Arkin (earning him an Oscar for his supporting performance).
#6
Lincoln
When you have one of the most acclaimed directors of all time telling the story of one of our best Presidents ever by an actor who epitomizes the term "actor," you've got "Lincoln," the true story of how Abraham Lincoln brought an end to the Civil War and the passing of the 13th Amendment that abolished slavery. Steven Spielberg directs the dazzling dramatic masterpiece, and Daniel Day-Lewis exudes Abraham Lincoln in a way that only he can - by completely transforming himself into our sixteenth President on screen. He is the immovable object, and without Lewis the film wouldn't be half as amazing as it was.
#5
Citizen Kane
"Rosebud." Never before has one word so electrified a movie and made it into a cinematic classic. This is Orson Welles' career defining role as Charles Foster Kane, a man of mystery who runs for governor after establishing himself as a media mogul, who is the subject of a reporter's desire to find out what his dying word meant. It's an American classic for a reason, and Welles (who also co-wrote and directed) shines bright in classic black and white.
#4
JFK
Oliver Stone's Oscar-winning epic tells the story of New Orleans District Attorney Jim Garrison (Kevin Costner), who felt there was more to the assassination of John F. Kennedy than what was released. The film played to the conspiracy theories ("back, and to the left"), lies, and unanswered questions after the assassination of an American President, while searching for a possible truth that may or may not exist. Along with Costner, the film also boasts the acting talents of Gary Oldman, Edward Asner, Jack Lemmon, Vincent D'Onofrio, Sissy Spacek, Michael Rooker, Joe Pesci, Walter Matthau, John Candy, Kevin Bacon, Tommy Lee Jones and Donald Sutherland.
#3
All the President's Men
The pairing of The Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein uncovered the details of Watergate, leading to the resignation of President Richard Nixon. Starring Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman, the film shows the lengths these two men went to investigate what seemed to be just a robbery at the Democratic Party Headquarters, which led to the biggest scandals of all time. It's intelligent, driven, and led by two of the best actors around.
#2
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
James Stewart stars as Jefferson Smith, a man hand-picked to replace a U.S. Senator who really hasn't had a lot of political experience. He's naive and kind, someone who thinks the government works for the people. However, once arriving in D.C., he learns that not all politicians are out for the betterment of society, and that the system can be manipulated. The closing speech Stewart gives is still as goosebumps-inducing as it was back then, and shows that, even in the midst of the impossible, good can somehow triumph over evil.
#1
Dr. Strangelove or
How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
"You wanna know what I think?" For someone as sarcastic as me, it's no surprise my favorite political drama is a satirical look at government. Stanley Kubrick delivers a gut punch to society with his highly comical look at a military leader gone mad, starting a world war against the U.S.S.R. by releasing a nuclear bomb. The film holds to this day with some of the most well-known images in cinema (who can forget the man in the cowboy hat riding the nuclear bomb?), along with some of the best quotes in history ("Gentleman, you can't fight here! This is the War Room!"), and doesn't lose its sarcasm.
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