Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

ridiculous rating

Overrated

One of the best films i have seen

The screenplay should have been buried with Mr. Welles. I actually can't figure out which was worse, the story or the overacting by the international cast (I use the word loosely) of characters. It was like watching a bad High School play. I think the director was trying to do the movie as if Orson Welles was directing it. He failed. I wondered what had become of Mr. Hurt. Now I know. There must be a serious lack of scripts coming his way in order for him to take this part.

I found this a moving and refreshingly upbeat "take" on the "flawed hero" theme. The pursuit of power has led all the characters to make ruthless and morally dubious choices yet they still strive for some sort of decency in their relationships and by the end of the film have just about achieved this. Yes it's a bit melodramatic but unrealistic? - the more I learn of American politics the more real it seems ( Clinton? Kennedy?) Don't be put of by those reviewers who claim the plot isn't clear. If you pay attention it is! Pellarin's body guard for example is a Vietnam veteran & turns against Blake when he discovers he draft-dodged. The performances are all excellent, particularly William Hurt's as Blake. For the first time I realised I may actually have something in common with these larger than life politicians and they may be as interested as I am in making the world a little better for us all.

If you want to see the short that inspired the feature,take a look at a DVD called SHORT 2: Dreams. Apparently it's the only place where the short can be seen. There's also an exclusive interview with filmmaker George Hickenlooper. Fun name, no? And there's also alternate video tracks with clips from the feature. Check it out. I bought it at Amazon.com. Enjoy...

I recently saw George Hickenlooper's "The Big Brass Ring" at the Toronto Int'l Film Festival, and was generally disappointed. I should have been wary of a film based on an unproduced Orson Welles script. William Hurt, Miranda Richardson and Nigel Hawthorne give solid performances, working with what they have. Irene Jacob is horribly miscast, however. The film is essentially a reworking of 'The Man in the Iron Mask' with references to two brothers with divided fates, and a floating night club called the "Louis Quatorze." There are hints of the late master's genious. However, the plot is ultimately muddled - perhaps in the adaptation, and the film is amateurishly directed. I wonder if this film will see the light of day before it inevitably ends up on cable tv.