ReaderKenka Let's be realistic.

Aubrey Hackett While it is a pity that the story wasn't told with more visual finesse, this is trivial compared to our real-world problems. It takes a good movie to put that into perspective.

Catherina If you're interested in the topic at hand, you should just watch it and judge yourself because the reviews have gone very biased by people that didn't even watch it and just hate (or love) the creator. I liked it, it was well written, narrated, and directed and it was about a topic that interests me.

Geraldine The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

Kirpianuscus Maybe, the chemistry between Shirley McLaine and Nicholas Cage represents the lead virtue of this bitter comedy. And the good reason to see it as not the best but decent story about old age, solitude, eccentricity, duty, loyalty and friendship. Its end is really touching and a good revanche to few not reasonable holes. Short, a nice film. For actors more than the script.

vincentlynch-moonoi I know that when most movies start (or for that matter, most books), it takes time to "set things up". But honestly, this film is downright boring for almost the first half. After all, we all know where this film is going...at least generally; either there will be an assassination plot against her or a kidnapping, or some life-threatening event.Once we reach that point, then things get darned interesting. Although with more time for this part of the film, it could have been done much more nicely. The sentimentality was crucial to the film, but more time should have been given to the action; there could have been a better balance.Can I believe Nicholas Cage as a secret service agent? Yes. Can I believe Shirley MacLaine as a feisty First Lady? Yes. Both of these two main actors do very nicely here.The slightly creepy Austin Pendleton is so good here, as he almost always was. You kinda know he's a suspect, and he plays it perfectly. Edward Albert seems rather superfluous here.The other supporting actors all do well here, although none stand out.It's a decent film, but not outstanding. But Shirley MacLaine is a joy and a treasure.

sddavis63 Tess Carlisle (Shirley MacLaine) is a former first lady of the United States, whose husband died while in office. Back home in Ohio, her secret service detail is headed by Special Agent Doug Chesnik (Nicolas Cage.) The movie basically traces the relationship between the two. I suspect that guarding a former first lady is not an especially exciting assignment for a secret service agent in the first place. Tess, however, is a nightmare for Chesnik. By turns rebellious toward and then dependent on her detail, she makes Chesnik's life miserable to the point at which he wants nothing more than a new assignment. Every time he tries to get transferred, though, Tess calls in favours from the new president and gets him re-assigned to her. It's the symbiotic relationship between the two that's interesting here.This is, on the whole, a surprisingly sad movie. Tess is isolated inside her home, rarely going out, and with little if any relationship with her children. Her son (played by Edward Albert) appears briefly in the movie, obviously looking not for a warm family visit with his mother but simply trying to get her to allow her name to be used to support a business deal he's involved in. Meanwhile, Chesnik is a more mysterious character about whom we learn little, except that he's a dedicated agent who had a brief and apparently troubled marriage in the past. The movie leads up to Tess's kidnapping and the search for her, which eventually leads to a heartwarming reunion between her and Chesnik, as both demonstrate their loyalty to one another. To be honest, this isn't a very exciting movie, perhaps making the point that such an assignment isn't the one that secret service agents aspire to. It's also not a bad movie. MacLaine and Cage both offered good performances, and that last twenty minutes or so after Tess's kidnapping is well done, leaving you with a pretty good taste in your mouth. (6/10)

bob the moo Doug Chesnic is a secret service agent who happily welcomes his final day guarding Tess Carlisle, the crotchety widow of a former US President. Doug returns to Washington having just about managed to deal with her even when she is at her most difficult – however he has no regrets when it becomes his time to rotate back onto active duty in another assignment. However it transpires that Mrs Carlisle has already called the President and requested that Doug be returned to work her protection duty permanently. Unable to say "no" to a Presidential request, Doug begrudgingly returns to a role that is more butler and nursemaid than it is protection.A very average little affair this film. At first it seems like an amiable if totally unremarkable comedy with the lead two actors bouncing off one another if an enjoyable enough way. This makes up the majority of the film and, although it is instantly forgettable, it is quite pleasing. Cage and MacLaine work it well enough in their respective characters and they have an uneasy chemistry that suits the material. However in the final third it suddenly all goes to pot.It was always going to have a dramatic ending of sorts and I think, given the protector/protected dynamic that it was predictable that Tess was going to be in some sort of peril that Doug needs to save her from. However the way it does it really sucks the life out of the film and the very light touch of the majority means that it can't cope with even a slight knock. Suddenly it becomes all melodramatic and soft, like it has just flopped down to the floor and lost what little spark it did have; it is a really disappointing way for the film to turn out. The support cast add vague interest with faces such as Pendleton, Griffiths and a few others but mostly there is nothing for them to work with.Overall then, an amiable enough film in the main but nothing that you will remember for very long. Sadly what you will remember is the way the final third plummets into mediocrity and melodrama, extinguishing any spark or enjoyment that it may have had in the first part.