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The Big Brass Ring
1999
A labyrinthine story of political ambition and intrigue based upon an unfinished screenplay by Orson Welles. Blake Pellarin is running for Governor of Missouri, but his real goal is to become president. When a dark shadow from his past threatens to expose a guarded family secret, Blake plots to placate his blackmailer by .. Read more
| Starring | William Hurt, Nigel Hawthorne, Miranda Richardson, Irene Jacob |
|---|---|
| Director | George Hickenlooper |
| Genres | Thriller |
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The Big Brass Ring
A labyrinthine story of political ambition and intrigue based upon an unfinished screenplay by Orson Welles. Blake Pellarin is running for Governor of Missouri, but his real goal is to become president. When a dark shadow from his past threatens to expose a guarded family secret, Blake plots to placate his blackmailer by stealing his wife's jewels. However, an ambitious reporter and an overzealous campaign bodyguard, both privy to Pellarin's problems, have concocted plans of their own to exploit the aspiring Governor's conundrum for their own advantage.
| Starring | William Hurt, Nigel Hawthorne, Miranda Richardson, Irene Jacob, Gregg Henry, Jim Metzler, Ewan Stewart, Ron Livingston, Jefferson Mays |
|---|---|
| Director | George Hickenlooper |
| Studio | HOLLYWOOD DVD LTD |
| Run time | DVD: 1 hr 40 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Genres | Thriller |
| Language | DVD: English |
| Released | DVD: 25 Feb 2002 Production year: 1999 |
| Format | DVD |
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Critics' reviews (2)
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"...THE BIG BRASS RING fleshes out the people involved and their ambitions nicely....The finale, as beautiful as it is bizarre, will enrapture the art-house crowd..."
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Noteworthy for being based on a flawed but fascinating script by Orson Welles, this conspiracy thriller from the... read more on Time Out
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Most helpful member's review
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7 out of 7 people found this review helpful
A disappointingly clumsy drama
'The Big Brass Ring' is based on an original screenplay by Orson Welles, sadly that's one of the few reasons to remember this muddled political thriller.
Blake Pellarin(William Hurt) is running for governor and is marginally ahead in the polls when the past comes back to haunt him. Compromising photos that may or may not show Pellarin in his youth emerge and threaten to derail his campaign. Director George Hickenlooper strives for political intrigue and throws in a couple of red herrings but the film winds up getting ever more confused with itself.
Hickenlooper seems to be setting up Pellarin's wife(Miranda Richardson) as a Lady Macbeth figure but loses interest in her and lets her character disappear halfway through. Nigel Hawthorne has fun with his role as a shady figure from the past but Irene Jacob is woefully miscast as a TV reporter chasing the story.
The ever reliable William Hurt holds the interest in the lead role and is probably better than the film deserves. By the time the credits have rolled there are a ridiculous amount of loose ends left hanging. How much of this is down to Welles' script is open to question but like so many things in his life there's a nagging, frustrating sense of what might have been. -
Most recent members' review
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Boring
Considering the cast a very disappointing movie
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The Big Brass Ring
A labyrinthine story of political ambition and intrigue based upon an unfinished screenplay by Orson Welles. Blake Pellarin is running for Governor of Missouri, but his real goal is to become president. When a dark shadow from his past threatens to expose a guarded family secret, Blake plots to ...
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