Movie Reviews
So “The Sentinel” messes up a few times. No movie is perfect.
Despite Kiefer Sutherland’s status as Agent Jack Bauer on “24,” he does well in playing a guy that is similar. Forget that he’s feeding us so much information about the secret service that we lose track of the story because a lot of it is pretty interesting. And forget that Michael Douglas is playing the same character he always plays. Douglas is an engaging actor, so don’t complain; allow him to draw you in. Forget that Eva Longoria is so beautiful that it’s hard to focus on little else when she’s on screen because the movie knows that too and usually has macho guys cat calling when she walks by.
In place of a lot of flaws are some very good characters. Michael Douglas’ Pete Garrison is the sophisticated old man all guys want to grow up to be like. He gets up at four in the morning, does sit-ups, dresses in a suit and sunglasses, and heads for work at our nation’s capital. There, he says cool things like, “Cincinnati is on the move.” “Cincinnati” being First Lady Sarah Ballentine, played by Kim Basinger, who happens to be having an affair with Garrison.
Sutherland plays David Breckinridge, a former partner and friend of Garrison. They’re not on good terms because, allegedly, Garrison slept with Breckinridge’s wife too. Garrison denies it, but any hope of Breckinridge believing him is thrown out the window when he finds out about the first lady.
When the White House finds out about a possible betrayer among the secret service, each member is forced to take a polygraph. One of the questions happens to be something like, “Have you done anything to violate policy in the last month.” “Not that I know of,” says Garrison as he starts to sweat. (I imagine sleeping with the president’s wife is against policy.) Garrison is arrested for failing his polygraph and goes on the run because Breckinridge and his rookie partner (Longoria) are assigned to apprehend him.
Yes, “The Sentinel” is lacking in edge or originality, but I like it for the same reasons that I liked “The Interpreter.” Both are sincere and engaging. And “The Sentinel” has some fantastic photography as well.
The final scene could’ve played out much differently and been much better too. At the time when we should be cheering that the bad guys are getting what they deserve, we’re asking whether or not the whole scene was even plausible. Or if certain actions were necessary, like when a government vehicle slams into another parked one simply for the affect of smashing cars. But then again, I like smashing cars. ***