Cebalord Very best movie i ever watch

UnowPriceless hyped garbage

Guillelmina The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

Kimball Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

wes-connors Washington, DC is swirling with intrigue after ailing second-term US President Franchot Tone appoints controversial, cool-headed Henry Fonda (as Robert "Leff" Leffingwell) to replace his dead Secretary of State. The buzz concerns Mr. Fonda's predisposition for peace, which is at odds with his adversaries' "shoot first, ask questions later" foreign policy. Watching Fonda teach his reluctant son Johnny (Eddie Hodges) to lie on the phone is an interesting bit of character development. Fonda's made a lot of political enemies. He believes the US should try to talk with the Communists (which proved to be the correct course, in the long run). Of course, people back then called you a "commie pinko" and worse for crazy ideas like negotiating with the enemy (some still do)... Fonda being revealed as some sort of Communist sympathizer could queer the deal...Allen Drury's popular political novel gets a fine treatment from director Otto Preminger and the crew at Columbia. The black and white wide-screen photography, by Sam Leavitt, is used exceptionally well by Mr. Preminger. The stark, sprawling Washington and its myriad of colorless characters effectively covey the film's thesis and show how dirt is processed in the US capitol. There are numerous players, all perfectly cast. From top-billed Henry Fonda down to background extras, everyone knows their place. The bigger names in the cast shed star-status and blend into their roles...Although there are more than five performances worthy of a "Best Supporting Actor" award, four handle most of the drama. Fonda is the subject. Presiding over the Senate committee on Fonda's confirmation is handsome young Don Murray (as Brigham "Brig" Anderson), a perfect "family values" senator from Utah. Fonda's main adversary is ageing Charles Laughton (in his last role, as Seabright "Seb" Cooley), a conservative rabble-rouser from South Carolina. Fonda's main supporter is loyal party-man Walter Pidgeon (as Robert "Bob" Munson), the majority leader from Michigan...On a "comeback" after some health problems, Gene Tierney (as Dolly Harrison) represents the era's female "movers and shakers." Her role is purely decorative (and sexually receptive). As Mr. Murray's clueless wife, Inga Swenson is the best supporting actress. Beloved today for the vulgar observations of an old lady, pretty young Betty White, pops up briefly as a token lady senator. The story's women are largely inconsequential. This is a man's world. Unusual for movies in 1962 (while not in real life), "Advise & Consent" includes a gay (male) subplot. However, the drama loses rather than gains points for the inclusion as Preminger depicts a "gay bar" in hilariously hellish fashion. Naturally, the film leaves its main gay character bloodied (acceptable, if not for the bigger picture) and the man's ex-lover face down, in filth... Politics is dirty business.******* Advise & Consent (1962-06-06) Otto Preminger ~ Don Murray, Henry Fonda, Charles Laughton, Walter Pidgeon

John Stump This early 60's movie introduced me to the harmful consequences of the closet. It portrayed a civil rights fight that still awaits final resolution.I consider Advice and Consent one of those essential political movies high on the list with The Last Hurrah; The Lion in Winter; Lawrence of Arabia; Seven Days in May; China Town; and Devil in a Blue Dress. When watching this B&W mono sound movie enjoy the details of a simpler time of dial phones, propeller airliners with uniformed stewardesses, and a casual human scale low security world. I thought that the scale of the homes and hotel rooms interesting and reflective of this pre-central air conditioning world. Wealthy homes have window air conditioners, screen doors and hotel room doors with ventilator panels.

lasttimeisaw I will not refute that my radical response towards Preminger's ANATOMY OF A MURDER (1959, 5/10) vaguely seven years ago, is due to a commonplace disparity of personal taste, which may explain my procrastinated second foray into Preminger's cannon, the less prominent and awards-snubbed ADVISE & CONSENT. Personally speaking, political drama is not my genre of passion especially I have grown up from a country where no such type of cinema conspicuously exists, plus basically I have few clues of the structure and framework as regards the complex USA political hierarchy (although thanks to HOUSE OF CARDS, I have assimilated some elementary guidances now), thereby, my ingrained insouciance is the chief impediment. Efficiently introduced in the very first scene, the central issue is zooming in on the designation of the newly-nominated Secretary of State Robert Leffingwell (Fonda) by the ailing President (Tone), who resorts to Senate Majority Leader (Pidgeon) to facilitate the procedure in the Congress while the main drag force is a senior Senator Cooley (Laughton) who holds a personal ill will against Robert. Then roughly the film can be split into halves, the first one principally concerns a cross- examination of Robert's communist background in a subcommittee presided by the budding Senator Anderson (Murray), it's a conflict blurs the lines between truth and lie, which can be implied tacitly as an imperative criterion in politicking and also segues into the second half pertains to Anderson being extorted into an earlier jurisdiction by an envious Senator Van Ackerman (Grizzard), with an extra push from Cooley. Anderson is plagued by the deepest secret about his sexual orientation, as a result, a certain tragic follows. The two glaring talking points (communism and closeted homosexual) come as convenient and topical at the Cold War years, half a century later, propitiously we are lumbering on. At the final act, the Vice President (Ayres) steals the show as a fluke of an arbitrary fabrication on the votes. For audiences, the most palatable merit is a stellar ensemble body of work, first-billed though, Fonda vanishes completely after two thirds of the story, he is as righteous as in 12 ANGRY MEN (1957, 9/10); seeing as his swan song, Laughton withstands his splendor wonderfully and his eloquence in oratory is second to none. Two surprisingly enacted performances are from a suave Pidgeon, whose disparaging tongue-lashing to Van Acherman is perfectly on the nose, and a square-shouldered Murray carries a more tortuous story development and emanates an absorbing shock wave. I put all four in leading category, since in supporting circle, Tone, Ayres, Meredith (riveting as a key witness mouthing slanders) and even Tucker (the paunchy pimp totally incongruous with the bureaucratic atmosphere) are equally contending along with a sophisticated Tierney past her prime but her finesse never recedes. In a nutshell, ADVISE & CONSENT is an exemplar of political drama, and more unexpectedly it beckons a revisit and revaluation of ANATOMY OF A MURDER for me, where I may not give enough credit for Preminger's calculated camera scheduling and detached phlegm out of his source material.

audiemurph "Advise and Consent" is a strong entry in the canon of Preminger movies. The whole first half is particularly captivating, focusing on the complex relationships between the leaders of the Senate and the President, who would like to get his progressive friend Robert Leffingwell confirmed by the Senate for Secretary of State. The major strength of the movie is the incredible line-up of acting superstars, none of whom is allowed to shine above the rest, yet all of whom give quite powerful performances.Walter Pidgeon is magesterial as the Majority Leader who knows everyone, and, as a good friend and supporter of the President, is responsible for bringing the votes together for the nominee. Lew Ayres is elegant and wonderfully dignified as the Vice-President who is mostly ignored by everyone with power, yet remains genial throughout. Henry Fonda plays his relatively small role with conviction, and Peter Lawford is very appealing as a Senator who, naturally enough for Lawford, is a womanizer, but with a kind heart and an independent streak.Spectacular and demanding is Charles Laughton as the Southern Senator whose role is to fight against everyone. Looking almost ghostly in his white suit, Laughton brilliantly defends old-fashioned American values against the forces of progressivism and Communism. Franchot Tone does a convincing job playing a political fighter of a President who also happens to be dieing; he really does look quite like he is dieing.But stealing the whole movie, I think, is the great Burgess Meredith. Initially brought in to the Committee Hearing to denounce Henry Fonda as a Communist, Meredith starts off cocky. But his brilliance as an actor comes out in the amazing second scene with Fonda, who tears down Meredith while lieing about Meredith's past. Meredith knows Fonda is lieing, yet a combination of weak character and mental illness prevents him from defending himself, and he ends the scene completely disheartened, demoralized, and destroyed. Watching Meredith's facade of strength collapse is priceless. This is easily the best scene in the movie.The second half, focusing on the slow mental breakdown of the Senator from Utah, played by Don Murray, is a bit of a letdown, and frankly slows the movie down a lot. But it all leads to an incredible dramatic finish in the Senate Chambers; the last 5 minutes are definitely worth waiting for. It is not quite as astonishing as the last moments of "Mr Smith Goes to Washington", but it is powerful none the less. And the final moments of reemerging friendship, respect and humility between Walter Pidgeon and Charles Laughton are delicious and pleasing, and will leave you feeling quite satisfied.