Institutional politics and a shattered dream
Added 3/3/2009
15-year-old Owen, an academic, friendless (yet oddly-confident) young male, is excited to meet Congressman Lawrence Connor at the former's middle-school graduation. Owen grabs the Congressman's attention with his grasp of current affairs, and is asked to become the 'youth spokesman' for the Congressman's campaign for Senator. This is a dream-come-true for Owen, since he has imagined a political future for himself. He quickly becomes immersed into the spectacle of sound-bites and empty imagery, but is seduced by the attention, media appearances and high-flying parties with politicians.
Meanwhile, Owen is developing a close friendship with the Congressman's attractive, privileged nephew, Caleb - who, two years older than Owen, is sensual and worldly-wise in a way that Owen has never been. Despite Caleb's hints that Owen's new world is nothing like it seems, Owen is blinded by the sparkle of institutional power - and is headed for an abrupt fall.
'Choose Connor' is concerned with illuminating the self-serving malevolence of politicians, through the eyes of a naïve young male. Writer/Director Luke Eberle does an accomplished and professional job with this age-old theme, and in the process flirts with some important messages (the system will always protect itself; the need to make symbolic sacrifices) that always deserve an airing. The problem is that the efficacy is wholly undermined by the *vehicle* which he deploys to illustrate Owen's 'awakening': sex, a tired cliché, which is more a sop to popular cultural delectation than anything authentic or subversive. The story of the "Emperor's New Clothes" is a timeless theme; sex as a negative force existing outside of politics itself is a empty one. Paradoxically, therefore, the film ends up by *conforming* to the very institutionalized power relations that Eberle was concerned to undermine; as a consequence, 'Choose Connor' will quickly fade from memory.
The cast generally do well with the material available to them - in particular, Steven Weber is excellent as the consummate, self-aggrandizing, politician; experienced Alex D. Linz (Owen) and relative newcomer Escher Holloway (Caleb), turn in strong performances, despite the one-dimensionality of their characters. Watch 'Choose Connor' for an evening's entertainment - just don't expect anything seminal.
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I hated this movie
Added 1/21/2009
I hated this movie. It was horribly perverted and left me feeling victimized. This was not a responsible way to handle the subject of child prostitution or slavery.
0 out of 6 people found this helpful.
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When Dreams are Broken
Added 11/29/2008
"Choose Connor"
When Dreams are Broken
Amos Lassen
Owen (the very cute Alex Linz) is an idealistic fifteen year old boy who gets the chance of a lifetime when U.S. Senate candidate, Lawrence Connor, chooses him to be the youth spokesman for his political campaign. Own then is exploited by the media and we get to see just how cut throat politics can be.
Owen is at the top of his middle school class and he is anxious to know how the world works. He is a loner, preferring to study rather than make friends and his life is somewhat mundane. When he meets Congressman Lawrence Connor (Steven Weber) his life changes. He also meets Connor's young nephew, Caleb (Escher Holloway) who is quite taken with Owen as his uncle who is amazed at the student's intelligence and quick wit. Caleb and Owen forge a deep bond and Connor offers Owen a chance to learn about the world of politics by offering him the position of youth campaign spokesman. Owen is delighted as it is a chance for him to learn as well as to earn some cash but little by little he discovers the truth about politics and the deranged world in which he has become involved. Here is a coming-of-age story that takes place when one youth realizes the flaws and corruption of his society and thinks about what he can do about it.
Alex Linz turns in an amazing performance as he discovers that politicians are without soul and to what they will do to gain and keep power. "Choose Connor" is about the loss of innocence as it is a tense political thriller that pulls you in as it rings close to life.
Directed by 21 year old Luke Eberl, we meet a director who is going to do some great things. He pulls apart the underbelly of the American political system and although we have had movies like this before ("Advice and Consent", for one), it is the way the story is resented that makes this film special. The plot is presented "parable" style with vignettes in which the message is presented as double-entendre. You feel constantly that there is something quite awful lurking somewhere but you do not know exactly what it is. When the evil is revealed, you are able to breathe those breaths that you were not aware you were holding in. I felt quite sad and somewhat lost.
Quite simply, it seems to me, the message is that we should not make politicians out to be idols because we think they represent the best possible solutions.
The movie is quite strong but it actually could have been stronger. When a hero falls, we see that it is quite devastating to those who worship him and when Connor falls, Owen is beside himself as he watches the idealism he had shatter into thousands of pieces.
As Connor, Weber turns in an excellent performance. He manages to be charming, sneaky and greasy all at the same time and is convincing as a man with a deep and dark secret who has discovered safety in the pursuit of power. He is both sincere and manipulative and the scene is which he cries is very hard to watch.
At times, however, I did find Eberl's cynicism to be unrelenting and therefore there are some parts of the film that are somewhat awkward. There is not a great deal new to learn that politicians are not beacons of moral fortitude and ethical leadership--we surely have seen that in the last few years. This is a wonderful debut film from Luke Eberl and I predict that he will be a big name in the future. If he tightened this film just a little more, it would have been brilliant.
4 out of 5 people found this helpful.
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