A talky historical drama, The Brink of War marks the second Ronald Reagan flick in as many years, the first being Reagan, starring Dennis Quaid. With two films tackling the same historical figure and released so close together, it’s hard to review one without comparing it to the other.
While the latter film serves as a full-fledged biopic, Brink of War is interested only in a highly specific moment during Reagan’s administration: the president’s 1986 Reykjavik, Iceland, meeting with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. Unlike Reagan, Brink of War is also a very good film.
The Cast
Starring Jeff Daniels as Reagan, Jared Harris as Gorbachev, and J. K. Simmons as Secretary of State George Shultz, the film’s cast is superb.
Unlike Quaid’s impersonation (which I thought was the highlight of an overall mediocre film), Daniels opts for a Reagan “flavor,” a solid creative choice that likely prevented the performance from dipping into SNL-like parody territory and allowed the focus to remain on the story and dynamic between the two leaders, as opposed to becoming strictly a Reagan vehicle.
Reagan also strove to present a “portrait-on-a-pedestal” of a world historical figure. Not that there is anything intrinsically wrong with such a portrayal. But Brink is more interested in presenting the man as just that — a fully formed human being, navigating a difficult situation in a trying time. He’s intelligent, he’s witty, he’s opinionated, he’s a Republican, he has an agenda, and the audience can love him or hate him. It’s about as neutral a portrayal as can be, and the movie is all the better for it.
Harris, who is one of the most underrated actors of his generation, portrays Gorbachev with the same impartiality….
Cole Powell is an arts and media commentator and award-winning singer/songwriter from Jayess, Mississippi, USA, with degrees in computer technology, liberal arts, and theology. Host Random Reactions, Words Like That, and Film Nerd by Night. https://colepowell.net