HotToastyRag
I always like watching a good political thriller, so I was excited to watch The Enemy Within, despite my skepticism of the cast. Cutting to the chase, it turned out exactly as I'd expected. The cast was the weakest element of the film, but it was still relatively entertaining for those who enjoy this genre.Forest Whitaker plays a Marine who works in Washington, DC., directly under the Joint Chiefs of Staff, played by Jason Robards. Obviously, since it's Jason Robards, he's up to no good. It's not long before Forest figures it out—Jason is leaving him out of classified meetings and plans—and starts digging to find out what his boss is hiding.Sam Waterston is always very likable—and he's played a president before—so it's no stretch to believe he's the most likable person in the story and gives the best performance of the cast. Dana Delaney plays the president's Chief of Staff, and she feels incredibly miscast and out of her element. When she reads official documents, she seems to not understand the language; when she speaks to the president, she seems completely unaware of proper protocol; and when she takes part in covert operations, it seems like her idea of secrecy is waiting the entire weekend before telling her sorority sisters what happened. I know that sounds harsh, but she just can't pull off playing the Chief of Staff. And while Jason Robards is easily believed to be a bad guy, Forest Whitaker doesn't reek of discipline and harshness, despite several references to his supposed character traits in the script.You can sit through this political thriller if you want to; it won't hurt you. Chances are you'll find it a little bland, and you'll wish Sam Waterston could really run for President. Also, for those who have seen the original, this is a remake of 1964's Seven Days in May. I've never seen it, so I'm not able to draw any comparisons, but I wanted to include that tidbit.
lightswift74
Nice little suspense film from HBO. Does a good job of building up to the climax, but then falters. I felt the ending was very "convenient," and not believable. I did not see the original, so I'm not sure if it had the same ending. As the film progresses, we get to see Forest Whitaker do some mini-marathons throughout the city. This film reminded me of a cross between "No Way Out" and "The Shadow Conspiracy." No Way Out was also a military conspiracy film and had George Dzundza in a supporting role. "The Shadow Conspiracy," an awful film starring Charlie Sheen, was also about a government conspiracy revolving around a plot to assassinate the President from within the Government. Coincidentally, Sam Waterston plays the President in that too.
Claudio Carvalho
Colonel Casey (Forest Whitaker) discovers a coup d´etat leaded by General Lloyd (Jason Robards). He makes contact with the President of USA, William Forster (Sam Masterston) through his secretary Betsy (Dana Delany). The have just a couple of day to resolve a serious situation against the legality of their political system. I have this movie for many years, but the theme did not attract me. Yesterday I decided to watch it and what a surprise: a great TV movie. The cast is excellent, and the direction is sharp, in a political thriller with lots of action. I confess that I have never seen John Frankenheimer's `Seven Days In May', but I believe that the viewer will not be disappointed with this remake. My vote is eight.
sam_3
Well, I voted for this film, so I might as well comment on it. Well, the plot being rather unplausible, and having almost no message to convey, I find it difficult to understand that this actually made it on air. Since Forest Whitaker is someone I noticed in couple of films, I tuned into the film, and that is almost about it. Considering the current affairs related to terrorist attacks and retaliation to it, the West may need some spiritual confirmation that democracy shall prevail. A cheep paracetamol (pain killer) for a terrible migraine attack. Let's not get too serious about this one. (I don't know about this one, but recently my comments show up with a terrible format. Hope this turns out alright)
AD
