Review of Quiz Show (1994) by Miles H — 20 Apr 2008

Watching this movie is very much like flirting with that buxom girl from your international relations course while she's dancing to Enigma on the bartop, balancing quarters on her bosom: a lot of fun, but in the end, you come away with nothing.

It's a thoughtfully conceived show on the part of Redford, and it's definitely better than "Lions for Lambs". It's got Ralph Fiennes giving a fine, empathic performance on the heels of his terrifyting part in "Schindler's List", as well as Jon Turturro, Hank Azaria, and Christopher McDonald giving nice support.

Shit, even Martin Scorsese shows up as the head of a pharmeceutical sponsor for the rigged shows. The trouble with this movie is, like so many of Robert "Sundance" Redford's films, is that it winds up feeling like a lecture, and in the process, loses much of the dramatic energy that makes the first half so enjoyable and engrossing.

Once Rob Morrow's wholly unconvincing and uninteresting investigator enters the picture, the movie gets lost and loses sight of its best commodities, particularly Turturro. The ending is dark and depressing, even though it's shot on the brightest of sunny days in Washington DC, an unfortunate thematic choice.

It could have worked, but the way Redford frames it simply doesn't work. Too bad. There's an interesting story here, and for awhile, it's nicely told.