We all want to think that the world in which we live is safe and secure, that bad things only happen to the `other' guy and that evil-doers always get their just deserts. The reality of it, however, is that we all live in glass houses built on foundations anchored in the shifting sands of happenstance, and a `reality check,' courtesy of the entertainment medium of film is not a thing to be taken lightly, discounted or dismissed out-of-hand. `The Sum of All Fears,' directed by Phil Alden Robinson, is a cautionary tale that is thought provoking and all too valid, especially in the wake of 9/11. As a film, it may have some minor flaws and the story is certainly disconcerting, but in light of recent events in America, as well as around the world, it makes us aware of the importance of being ever vigilant, and it's important in that it reminds us of things that must not be forgotten lest they be repeated, just as a film like `Schindler's List' will forever be a kind of safeguard against another Holocaust. A single film may on it's own be just another brick in the wall, but if filmmakers persist, eventually that wall will perhaps become a kind of fortress that may help prevent a repetition of the blunders and crimes perpetrated throughout the history of the world.
The screenplay was adapted by Paul Attanasio and Daniel Pyne from the novel by Tom Clancy; the story is a proposition of what could happen if a nuclear bomb fell into the wrong hands, how the preeminent governments of the world would respond and what the outcome would mean to the average citizen living in the Ukraine or in Podunk, U.S.A. It's a hypothetical situation that, quite frankly, a few years ago would've been perceived by most as being as close to reality as `The Martian Chronicles.' But not anymore. Looking beyond the drama of the story and the way it's presented, the actual events depicted here are almost too close for comfort and will no doubt evoke a sense of denial in many viewers who still refuse to accept the state of the world as it is today.
The film itself is, of course, a big budget, Hollywood production-- which in not a BAD thing-- but as such the drama is a bit stiff and stilted at times, and the presentation by director Robinson lacks originality and imagination; too often we see exactly what we expect (when a member of the Russian cadre, for example, demurs to the cold reality of their plan and announces his withdrawal, we know that he's signed his own death warrant. Seeing him garroted by the silent, hulking henchman before he reaches the door is anticlimactic; it would have been entirely more effective had Robinson taken a page from David Lean's Book and left it up to the viewer's imagination). But the performances are to the last actor solid and convincing, and late in the film the story takes a decidedly unexpected turn that allows for a suspenseful climax; after a point you can speculate as to the final outcome, but you cannot know absolutely until the very end. As Confucius (or was it Yogi?) once said, It ain't over till it's over.
The real strength of the film, though, lies in the very honest depiction of the events and the way they play out, from the unimaginable success of the terrorists to the confusion, uncertainty and irresolution of those in power. Initially, the ease with which much of what happens is seemingly effected may evoke a reaction of disbelief and incredulity; but in retrospect, in reality this is more than likely exactly the way such things would happen. But we're conditioned by not only by what we've seen in other movies (James Bond ALWAYS saves the day, doesn't he?), but by what society tells us is so and by what we WANT to believe. Al-Qaida, however, is real; 9/11 is real. It's just not something we want to acknowledge, just as we do not want to believe that a handful of people control the destiny of the entire world, including a leader like this film's President Fowler (James Cromwell), who excels at waving to fans at a football game, talking tough and telling the people what they want to hear, but just may be clueless, ineffective and governed by personal agenda behind closed doors. Which is precisely what this film points out in terms that are at once subtle and overt.
As Jack Ryan, Ben Affleck gives an acceptable performance, and though he's convincing he lacks the intensity of his predecessor in the role, Harrison Ford, or even that of Alec Baldwin, who first created the character in 1990's `The Hunt for Red October.' Buy this is a younger Jack Ryan, new to the C.I.A. and not yet married, which may provoke some confusion in fans of this series, as on one hand this story predates `October,' and yet the events seem to reflect more recent incidents, subsequent to all that happened in the first three `Ryan' films. But taken as a separate entity, this film is contextually intact and stands on it's own; just be prepared to view it as an independent entry in the series with a value that supersedes any sequential necessity.
The most notable performances are turned in by Morgan Freeman (Cabot) Liev Schreiber (Clark), Philip Baker Hall (Defense Secretary Becker) and Ron Rifkin (Owens).
This is the kind of film that many viewers will subconsciously attempt to distance themselves from emotionally, and will take great delight in concentrating on minor technical flaws as it will enable them to sleep a little easier at night. But in the final analysis, `The Sum of All Fears' says something about who we are, `where' we are and the state of the world in which we live today; things we would probably rather not contemplate, but nevertheless, must.
The screenplay was adapted by Paul Attanasio and Daniel Pyne from the novel by Tom Clancy; the story is a proposition of what could happen if a nuclear bomb fell into the wrong hands, how the preeminent governments of the world would respond and what the outcome would mean to the average citizen living in the Ukraine or in Podunk, U.S.A. It's a hypothetical situation that, quite frankly, a few years ago would've been perceived by most as being as close to reality as `The Martian Chronicles.' But not anymore. Looking beyond the drama of the story and the way it's presented, the actual events depicted here are almost too close for comfort and will no doubt evoke a sense of denial in many viewers who still refuse to accept the state of the world as it is today.
The film itself is, of course, a big budget, Hollywood production-- which in not a BAD thing-- but as such the drama is a bit stiff and stilted at times, and the presentation by director Robinson lacks originality and imagination; too often we see exactly what we expect (when a member of the Russian cadre, for example, demurs to the cold reality of their plan and announces his withdrawal, we know that he's signed his own death warrant. Seeing him garroted by the silent, hulking henchman before he reaches the door is anticlimactic; it would have been entirely more effective had Robinson taken a page from David Lean's Book and left it up to the viewer's imagination). But the performances are to the last actor solid and convincing, and late in the film the story takes a decidedly unexpected turn that allows for a suspenseful climax; after a point you can speculate as to the final outcome, but you cannot know absolutely until the very end. As Confucius (or was it Yogi?) once said, It ain't over till it's over.
The real strength of the film, though, lies in the very honest depiction of the events and the way they play out, from the unimaginable success of the terrorists to the confusion, uncertainty and irresolution of those in power. Initially, the ease with which much of what happens is seemingly effected may evoke a reaction of disbelief and incredulity; but in retrospect, in reality this is more than likely exactly the way such things would happen. But we're conditioned by not only by what we've seen in other movies (James Bond ALWAYS saves the day, doesn't he?), but by what society tells us is so and by what we WANT to believe. Al-Qaida, however, is real; 9/11 is real. It's just not something we want to acknowledge, just as we do not want to believe that a handful of people control the destiny of the entire world, including a leader like this film's President Fowler (James Cromwell), who excels at waving to fans at a football game, talking tough and telling the people what they want to hear, but just may be clueless, ineffective and governed by personal agenda behind closed doors. Which is precisely what this film points out in terms that are at once subtle and overt.
As Jack Ryan, Ben Affleck gives an acceptable performance, and though he's convincing he lacks the intensity of his predecessor in the role, Harrison Ford, or even that of Alec Baldwin, who first created the character in 1990's `The Hunt for Red October.' Buy this is a younger Jack Ryan, new to the C.I.A. and not yet married, which may provoke some confusion in fans of this series, as on one hand this story predates `October,' and yet the events seem to reflect more recent incidents, subsequent to all that happened in the first three `Ryan' films. But taken as a separate entity, this film is contextually intact and stands on it's own; just be prepared to view it as an independent entry in the series with a value that supersedes any sequential necessity.
The most notable performances are turned in by Morgan Freeman (Cabot) Liev Schreiber (Clark), Philip Baker Hall (Defense Secretary Becker) and Ron Rifkin (Owens).
This is the kind of film that many viewers will subconsciously attempt to distance themselves from emotionally, and will take great delight in concentrating on minor technical flaws as it will enable them to sleep a little easier at night. But in the final analysis, `The Sum of All Fears' says something about who we are, `where' we are and the state of the world in which we live today; things we would probably rather not contemplate, but nevertheless, must.