Quiz Show
3.5/4
Starring: Ralph Fiennes, Rob Morrow, John Turturro, David Paymer, Paul Scofield, Hank Azaria, Christopher McDonald
Rated PG-13 for Some Strong Language
It's easy to be cynical about reality TV and game shows. Many are rigged and more than a few don't even bother to hide it. However, in the 1950's when television was relatively new, it was a more innocent time. People had not yet begun to understand how ratings were king and manipulating anything was fair game in an attempt to make them climb higher.
Herbert Stempel (Turturro) is the king of the game show "Twenty One." Week after week, the trivia savant dominates the game and wins big money. However, ratings have started to plateau so one of the producers, Dan Enright (Paymer), asks Herb to get a question wrong so that he can be replaced with Charles Van Doren (Fiennes), a handsome WASPy intellectual with an impeccable family reputation. Herb agrees, but when he's thrown out to the street, he intends to expose the show. Nothing comes of it until an ambitious young government official named Dick Goodwin (Morrow) catches wind of the story and senses an opportunity to make a name for himself.
"Quiz Show" is smart, and that's its strongest quality. The characters talk smart, they act smart, and not everything is spelled out in black and white (it's actually a little too vague at times). Director Robert Redford expects that we pay attention and intuit what the characters are thinking. This intellectual participation on the part of the audience makes it much more engaging.
Ralph Fiennes (pronounced 'Rafe' for those of you who don't know) always impresses. Whether it's a psychopathic Nazi commandant in "Schindler's List," a meek diplomat trying to uncover the truth behind his wife's death in "The Constant Gardner," or the notorious villain of the Harry Potter franchise, Fiennes is an exceptionally gifted actor (if only the same thing could be said about his brother Joseph...). What's interesting is that Charlie knows he is cheating, knows it's wrong, yet even though he gives into temptation, he still tries to find a way to alleviate his guilty conscience. As the bitter Herb, John Turturro does his best to create a character who is as abrasive and unlikable as possible. But not even someone as annoying as Herb Stempel deserves to be treated like he was, so when he fights back, we're on his side. Turturro never gets enough credit for his acting abilities, and he should have gotten an Oscar nod for this role. David Paymer is excellent as Dan Enright, whose verbal gymnastics can be used to persuade or intimidate anyone into doing whatever he wants. The rest of the cast, which includes the likes of Paul Scofield as Charles's father Mark, the Boston lawyer played by Rob Morrow and Martin Scorcese (yes, that Martin Scorcese) as a ruthless corporate executive, is without flaw.
If there's any flaw in this movie, and it's a mild one, it's that Redford keeps the characters at an arms distance. Intellectually it's easy to sympathize with the characters, but it's hard to care about them as people. Redford wants us to feel the inner conflict for Charlie to keep the fame and fortune and protecting his family's sterling reputation. Again, this comes across with the script by Paul Attanasio and the performances by Fiennes and Paul Scofield, but it's on a mental level and not an emotional one.
"Quiz Show" is fascinating from frame one. The amount of dramatic tension that Redford is able to generate from a relatively mundane situation is remarkable. Although it's a little too emotionally cold and the script could have used a touch up here and there, it remains a very good way to spend two hours.
Starring: Ralph Fiennes, Rob Morrow, John Turturro, David Paymer, Paul Scofield, Hank Azaria, Christopher McDonald
Rated PG-13 for Some Strong Language
It's easy to be cynical about reality TV and game shows. Many are rigged and more than a few don't even bother to hide it. However, in the 1950's when television was relatively new, it was a more innocent time. People had not yet begun to understand how ratings were king and manipulating anything was fair game in an attempt to make them climb higher.
Herbert Stempel (Turturro) is the king of the game show "Twenty One." Week after week, the trivia savant dominates the game and wins big money. However, ratings have started to plateau so one of the producers, Dan Enright (Paymer), asks Herb to get a question wrong so that he can be replaced with Charles Van Doren (Fiennes), a handsome WASPy intellectual with an impeccable family reputation. Herb agrees, but when he's thrown out to the street, he intends to expose the show. Nothing comes of it until an ambitious young government official named Dick Goodwin (Morrow) catches wind of the story and senses an opportunity to make a name for himself.
"Quiz Show" is smart, and that's its strongest quality. The characters talk smart, they act smart, and not everything is spelled out in black and white (it's actually a little too vague at times). Director Robert Redford expects that we pay attention and intuit what the characters are thinking. This intellectual participation on the part of the audience makes it much more engaging.
Ralph Fiennes (pronounced 'Rafe' for those of you who don't know) always impresses. Whether it's a psychopathic Nazi commandant in "Schindler's List," a meek diplomat trying to uncover the truth behind his wife's death in "The Constant Gardner," or the notorious villain of the Harry Potter franchise, Fiennes is an exceptionally gifted actor (if only the same thing could be said about his brother Joseph...). What's interesting is that Charlie knows he is cheating, knows it's wrong, yet even though he gives into temptation, he still tries to find a way to alleviate his guilty conscience. As the bitter Herb, John Turturro does his best to create a character who is as abrasive and unlikable as possible. But not even someone as annoying as Herb Stempel deserves to be treated like he was, so when he fights back, we're on his side. Turturro never gets enough credit for his acting abilities, and he should have gotten an Oscar nod for this role. David Paymer is excellent as Dan Enright, whose verbal gymnastics can be used to persuade or intimidate anyone into doing whatever he wants. The rest of the cast, which includes the likes of Paul Scofield as Charles's father Mark, the Boston lawyer played by Rob Morrow and Martin Scorcese (yes, that Martin Scorcese) as a ruthless corporate executive, is without flaw.
If there's any flaw in this movie, and it's a mild one, it's that Redford keeps the characters at an arms distance. Intellectually it's easy to sympathize with the characters, but it's hard to care about them as people. Redford wants us to feel the inner conflict for Charlie to keep the fame and fortune and protecting his family's sterling reputation. Again, this comes across with the script by Paul Attanasio and the performances by Fiennes and Paul Scofield, but it's on a mental level and not an emotional one.
"Quiz Show" is fascinating from frame one. The amount of dramatic tension that Redford is able to generate from a relatively mundane situation is remarkable. Although it's a little too emotionally cold and the script could have used a touch up here and there, it remains a very good way to spend two hours.
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