TxMike I found this movie on Netflix streaming. I watched it because I like Nic Cage and the story is set in and mostly filmed in New Orleans. It was home to me for a time and I always enjoy visiting it, even if the visit consists of scenes in a movie.Nicolas Cage is Colin Pryce, he is a US Congressman with a weakness. He has a strong sex drive and can't seem to resist a juicy affair. The story is set right after the massive BP blow out and oil spill in the Gulf in 2010. In addition to being a Congressman Pryce is an attorney and forms a group to work to achieve appropriate relief for the businessmen and fishermen damaged by the spill.This is a very mediocre movie, none of the characters are worth rooting for, and the restitution from BP isn't treated in any depth. So it really comes down to, do you like to see Nic Cage, and to a lesser extent, Peter Fonda who is good as his dad, a former politician. Connie Nielsen is also good as Colin's wife, Deborah Pryce, who treats him and his escapades much as we figure Hillary might have with Bill when he was in the news for all the wrong reasons. Not much here, I see it is the work of an inexperienced scriptwriter and it shows. You just can't make an excellent movie from a mediocre script.SPOILERS: When it comes to light that Colin was having an ongoing affair with a woman, a black woman, and the wife of one of the fishermen, he is pressured into resigning from Congress. He goes on to work for the people and Louisiana to get restitution and that good work makes him popular again. Meanwhile the Senator gets into a scandal so Colin decides to run for the Senate seat and wins.

quincytheodore The Runner is not the typical mystery thriller or clumsy action movie Nicolas Cage has been known for these past few years. This is a much deeper take on political drama as well as private ups and downs of a man's life. The cumulative acting prowess succeeds in presenting an appealing drama, but its varying interweaving subplots might be too cumbersome to fully develop.Story revolves around the incident of oil spill, then proceeds towards its aftermath as Senator Pryce (Nicolas Cage) is plagued by series of scandals. It's a compelling subject as a backdrop against the private life of the Senator, as it displays the man in front of public eyes along with his more honest thoughts and apprehensions.Nicolas Cage has his finer performance in years, this is far more in-depth and intimate dive on a character than practically his half dozen previous roles of cheap action hero or investigator. It's the way he puts on the flaws that make the politician character more identifiable. The supporting characters perform excellently as well, providing different aspects of relationship that Pryce must compensate or struggle with.The actors, despite having different screen time, present interesting subplots. However, this also hampers the pace as not every tangled story angle wrap up nicely. It's almost like a politician who promises too many things, some of them might be delivered, the rest could just be awkwardly shoehorned in. It's commendable to showcase multiple aspect of the drama, even displaying the man's vices, yet the transition between these subplots is sometimes jarring.It may have several flaws, but The Runner is a decent absorbing drama and also a step up on Nicolas Cage's slumping resume.

LeonLouisRicci Currently, the always Willing to Work Nicolas Cage is in "The Dog House" and can't seem to Catch a Break from Movie Fans and Fickle Critics. He is Attacked and "You Tubed" Ad Nauseum for Over Acting and the general Goofiness of His Movies these Days.So here, He Pulls Back and Delivers an Emotional, Yet Restrained, Performance that is His Best in a while. Working with a Rookie Director and a Low-Budget Cage manages to Take Hold of the Film's Message and comes up with a Flawed Character that is Noble and convincingly Real.The Story is that of a Congressman who is doing the Work of and for His District, when the BP Oil Spill Tragically Ruins the Lives of the Folks He Represents. Making an Appeal in Congress for Everyone's Help with a "From the Heart" Speech, the unknown Politician is Propelled to the National Spotlight. An Ideal Time to make a Run for the Senate.But, an Extramarital Affair is Caught on Camera and now, despite doing Everything else Commendably, is Forced to Resign and leaves in Disgrace. Now Working Pro Bono for the Folks (Again), His former Alcohol Abuse returns and now His Personal Life along with His Career is Spiraling Out of Control.A mix of Political and Personal Struggles are here in this Timely Tale and Cage is Helped along with a Supporting Cast of Peter Fonda, Sarah Paulson, and Connie Nielson. The Movie makes the most of its Heart Rending Story and Everyone Involved Contributes.Overall, Forget the Nic Cage Bashers for once and leave the Bandwagon for Cage has Defied Your Expectations and preconceived Hate. This is Quality Story Telling, a Warts and All Story of Complex Real Life Situations that Neither Capitulates to the Modern Trend of "Thriller" Tropes or Sinks to Slimy Exploitation.

MattyAndAnnika The Runner (2015) isn't the movie in which the previews make you think it is, and in some reviews it also says how this movie features important information that is a need to know; it's neither. The Runner (2015) is a story about a congressman who at one point was aiming to be a senator during the BP Oil Spills that had all the right reasons to want to help the people. As in any government, business or public projected structure when someone tends to want to do things that are for the good of man, someone that doesn't want you to succeed goes out of the way to make sure any secrets you have are surfaced in attempt to take everyone's mind off of the real picture. Now in ever situation like this a real humans response is to stick by their guns and focus on doing the right thing, and the disgraced persons of the planet fall in line like sheep and turn their backs on the right things to benefit for themselves; that's the real message within this movie and it's the same realism that every real human has always known. Now that this important message that was supposed to be found within the film isn't really in it it, let's focus on what the movie really was about, and was it good?My honest response on if this was a good movie, I can only say it is a movie; merely a drama movie about the life of a human being and in this case; well it's a congressman. The acting for the most part was at a low par, I believe they lost this film with Nicolas Cage. Nicolas Cage is a good actor but I believe that either he didn't have a good script or their just wasn't enough all together to need him in such a film. The father, wife, and his council did a fair job and it did seem that they had more to work with. The story seems rushed and not completely full, it was if you had to depend on what wasn't in the movie to piece it together to find out how in one minute things were bad and in the next scene everything was perfect again. Based on what the previews made this film out to be, focused on what took place in the oil spill, etc... well the film spent more time on the multiple relationships of Nicolas Cage's character "Colin Price". Sorry but I don't think the film was all that they said it to be, and for what it was; it wasn't a very good movie.