Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		0.5
Overall		3.0

The Runner Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman August 26, 2015

There's a certain love affair in cinema with the idealistic politician, a rare creature in the real world to be sure and one that easily fits into both a fictional heroic fantasy of the modern day crusader and, behind the curtains but not particularly well veiled, idealism and rally to a cause, or causes, for which the filmmakers themselves champion. The Runner fits that bill, telling the fictional story of a Louisiana politician knee-deep in the recovery and financial settlement efforts following the Gulf oil spill of 2010. The story sees the intersection of his well-meaning idealism and staunch political stances clashing with his personal shortcomings that threaten to destroy everything he's built and the doors he's opened for progress up the political ladder. It's a classic story of how sin catches up with a saint, where the value of integrity behind the desk and on the stump are brought into question by the goings-on between the sheets. Can the politician survive, can the message endure, or will the circling sharks devour the red meat and destroy not only a promising career but any chance the little guy has in the face of unbreakable corporate interests?

Embattled.

Louisiana Congressman Colin Price (Nicolas Cage) is actually doing what the people have elected him to do: fight for them when they need representation most. He's a crusader for the little guy, for the people who have been hurt the most by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill that has stalled the local fishing scene and reduced wages. Worst of all, the companies responsible are stalling on their promised reimbursement for lost wages. As a result of his impassioned work on behalf of his constituents, his political future looks bright and he seems primed for a run at a coveted senate seat. But it all becomes unhinged when word is leaked of an affair with a younger fitness instructor who also happens to be married to one of the fisherman for whom Price is fighting. With his reputation suddenly destroyed, he must look elsewhere for a way back on his feet, regain the people's trust, and rediscover himself.

While The Runner folds in broad commentary issues on the marriage between big business and the politicians in their pockets -- those willingly in the pocket and those destroyed by their refusal to enter it -- it's primarily a more intimate human interest drama that explores a wounded soul whose personal indiscretions interfere with the larger work and world around him. Price is a classic crusader, yet still a man. He's focused in his work but strays in his personal life. He is, by all accounts, a good, honest man, a rare breed of politician whose works are devoted to the people rather than his own interests and aspirations. The film treats him with respect, painting a flawed character who struggles with the realities of his world and also who he is in that world. It's as much a story of his salvation as it is his destruction, then, as the intersection between Price the champion and Price the cheater merge, leaving only the question of where his actions settle on the score sheet of public and private perception and if he can rebound and regain the trust he lost against the overwhelming odds of the incessant political and special interest attack machine.

It's an interesting, if not somewhat tired, premise. It's the sort of story that's all too familiar in the realm of fiction but also the realm of life, the classic "fall from grace" that, here, isn't given any sort of special, noteworthy treatment. Writer/Director Austin Stark doesn't do anything remarkable with the material, doesn't engender a very deep sense of compassion for the character. But perhaps that's what Stark wants from the character. Price is depicted as both saint and sinner, a flawed man who is more a victim of the system than he is his own shortcomings. In The Runner, it's not necessarily "hate the sinner" but instead "hate they who cast the stones." The film is less a commentary on flawed politicians -- though the movie calls out Roosevelt, Kennedy, and Clinton by name -- but rather a flawed system that shines brightest not on good deeds but rather anything and everything that can work in the favor of everyone but the little guy that has the most to lose when an honest politician is dragged through the mud.

Nicolas Cage impresses in the role, building a convincing character out of Price but not particularly differentiating him from other flawed heroes of cinema past, be they politicians or otherwise. Cage does show a certain restraint, refusing to take the character too far off the deep end in his darkest hours but certainly going to the limit in his most emotionally charged moments that show him where he's most comfortable, fighting for his people or sharing his bed with someone other than his wife, which just so happens to be the toxic combination that lands him hot water to begin with. The film boats an impressive secondary cast but the characters feel a little too processed and manufactured, all of them seeming to play a part rather than exist organically in Price's world.

The Runner Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Runner sprints onto Blu-ray with an all-around impressive 1080p transfer from Alchemy. The picture enjoys an organic, easy-on-the-eyes presentation that retains a moderately complex grain structure that provides a positive, visually appealing film-quality veneer. Details are sharp and effortlessly so, with the transfer revealing both complex backgrounds and distance shots with commendable clarity and sharpness but really dazzling up close where facial features, for instance, prove effortlessly revealing. Facial hair, pores, wrinkles, even makeup are all easy to see and naturally detailed. Colors are pleasing and accurate with a palette that's largely neutral though with, perhaps, an ever-so-slight chilly look to some of the lighter shades and blues. Black levels are impressively deep and accurate. Flesh tones, beyond the middy chilly look, at times, appear neutral. The image shows no obvious signs of wear, compression anomalies, or digital manipulation. Overall, this is a strong presentation from Alchemy.

The Runner Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Runner arrives on Blu-ray with a solid Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack. The movie is dialogue intensive and presents the spoken word with natural center placement and consistently clear and lifelike articulation. Music is satisfyingly robust, playing with a front-heavy posture (and mild surround support), good front spacing, and a healthy low end weight. Ambient effects are hit-or-miss, but mostly hit. Natural ambience is never quite organic but the track does yield some positive natural effects like insects and thunder. Some of the more complex details, like background traffic, can comes across as hopelessly muddled (listen around the 12:10 mark). Overall, however, the track is good and a net-plus on the scoresheet.

The Runner Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

All that's included are trailers for The Runner (1080p, 2:07), Kidnapping Mr. Heineken (480i), Survivor (480i), Good People (480i), and The Iceman (480i).

The Runner Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Runner never really elevates beyond the level of paint-by-numbers, despite its good intentions. It explores fairly well worn territory, doing so here with only a (relatively speaking) current event as the focal backdrop. At its core, the movie tells a rather standard "hero falls from grace" tale that sees the character struggle to balance personal shortcomings with professional success, idealism, and threats from every side. Cage is strong in the lead but the other characters feel far less organic, yielding technically adequate but dramatically unremarkable secondary performances. Alchemy's Blu-ray release of The Runner features top-tier video and good audio. No extras of substance are included. Rent it.