Viewed in
2000
Premise
In a world where Saddam Hussein's son threatens nuclear war, the U.S. president is forced to deal with worldwide tensions while trapped in a small town diner due to blizzard.
Who should watch
Those who love smart indie films.
Thoughts
Obviously, this film was created before 9/11 and the end of Saddam Hussein's reign in Iraq. Nevertheless, the story and premise still made this a nice gem.
Like most successful independent films, this had a small budget, sacrificing movie stars (if you consider Kevin Pollack a star), and radiated with a film maker's zest for a good story to tell. Not only does the president have limited resources, but he must do his job of high security with transparency with the locals in the diner. I really liked how the screenplay dealt with the interactions between the president and regular Americans. Heck, it could've have been a play.
The ending was arguably a cop-out, and some subplots could've been better. Nevertheless, given the scale of production, I enjoyed this political thriller with its interesting premise, smart dialogue and characters.
What I would change
I found the subplot with the diner owner predictable.
