Michael Douglas as Pete Garrison
Kiefer Sutherland as David Breckinridge
Eva Longoria as Jill Marin
Martin Donovan as William Montrose
Ritchie Coster as The Handler
Kim Basinger as 1st Lady Sarah Ballentine
Blair Brown as National Security Advisor
David Rasche as President Ballentine
Kristin Lehman as Cindy Breckinridge
Raynor Scheine as Walter Xavier
Chuck Shamata as Director Overbrook
Paul Calderon as Deputy Director Cortes
Clarque Johnson as Charlie Merriweather
Raoul Bhaneja as Aziz Hassad
Yanna McIntosh as Teddy Vargas
Directed By: Clark Johnson
Summary:
The political thriller has a lot twists and shows a side of the Secret Service that really hasn’t been seen before in a film.
Story:
There is a leak in the Secret Service and career agent Pete Garrison is framed for treason. His former best friend David Breckinridge is leading the investigation against Garrison and is willing to take him in under any circumstances. The two had a falling out when Breckinridge accused him of having an affair with his wife. So not only is the evidence pointing to Garrison but it’s a personal vengeance as well.
What Worked:
Eva Longoria as a Secret Service Agent was rather convincing. I actually forgot she was in “Desperate Housewives” while watching the film. There is not one glimpse of Gaby Solis and her sassy and ambitious attitude worked. There are many suspenseful moments and you don’t know who is setting up Garrison until closer to the end of the film. If you watch “24” obviously you can see Kiefer Sutherland easily in this role and it was cool to see Michael Douglas back in action after his three year break.
What Didn’t Work:
The reason to kill the president was never revealed or explained other than just because he’s the President. I knew the second the person came on screen who was actually trying to have the President killed and there were small details that were never explained. For instance, there is a scene where agents come to Garrison’s house to arrest him and they tell him they know about the cash in his account. That was the only mention of it and they never explained anything about it.
Bottom Line:
While there are some predicable moments and a few inconsistencies, the stylish, all-star cast works well together and makes the pace of the movie go along nicely.
