IN THE FACE OF EVIL: REAGAN’S WAR IN WORD & DEEDS (2004)
Running Time: 110 mins. Rating: 1.5 Stars/5 Stars
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Director: Stephen K. Bannon, Tim Watkins
Genre: Documentary
Country: USA
Language: English
Distributor: American Vantage Media
Disappointing biopic. Whatever your personal thoughts are about the 40th President of the United States, Ronald Reagan was a key participant in the dramatic shift of the geopolitic at the end of the 20th Century. This film is a mess, self-serving to the Religious Right who feel Reagan could do no wrong and should receive sainthood. As a Lincoln Republican and son of a Goldwater Democrat I was expecting a warts and all serious, balanced documentary about Reagan’s rise from affable Hollywood “B” actor to concerned citizen to “Leader of the Free World”.
The filmmakers intentionally leave out any critical analysis of Reagan, starting from his alleged ties to organized crime in Hollywood, selling out of his members during his presidency of the Screen Actor’s Guild (and violation of SAG regulations, but then we can blame that all on the counsel of MCA honcho Lew Wasserman) through his kowtowing to the Religious Right wing of the Republican Party (Senator Rick Santorum gets a special thanks in the film among others) and the financial shenanigans of his campaign financiers and key staffers. Hopefully a much better film that has non-biased research is made in the future.
If you like this recommendations: Inside The White House, Primary, The Presidents