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the problem with this picture in my opinion is Nicolas Cage !

don't get me wrong , I don't mean his performance but the audience has a problem with him , it's like : oh this movie starring Cage , just give it 1 star !

this movie is about characters and I always liked this kind of movies , the movie takes place in 2010 , first scenes shows the aftermath of BP oil spill accident... Cage is an idealistic congress man from Louisiana called Colin Price who aspires to be nominated for the senate , he was defending the rights of fishers whose works were damaged because of the accident , and suddenly his reputation was ruined by sexual scandal with a fisherman's wife ! His wife left him , he resigned from the congress but continued his charity works to support the fishermen... Cage was not bad , he delivers a good performance for his role..

Peter Fonda as Colin Price's father , he was very good written character and his performance was very good...

Connie Nielsen as Deborah Price was not special and not bad in the same time..

Sarah Paulson as Kate Haber , I liked her role in the second half of the movie

the problem with this picture is that when you have these elements and these characters you could have done much better scenario..

sorry for my bad English..

Fully engulfing itself to mimic real situations, a congressmen attempting to save the fishermen of Louisiana who just suffered a crisis from an oil spill attempts to use this to run for senate, but a scandal ruins his chances, but he still has a cause to finish while fighting his personal demons.

It's a great political drama, but I feel it suffers by exploiting real life events trying to pull on our heart strings for sentimental value. If the fishermen where army troops, it would be an exploitation film rather than a political drama. It also suffers form a lot of down time where nothing is really happening and moving too slowly for nothing to be going on.

The movie is a tangled weave about how good deeds by positive people can be over shadowed by a media scandal that exploit their negative vices.

It's an interesting look on how politics work and the necessaries of certain evils and how that works.

The Runner is a different point of view on a familiar story. It's a bit grim when you soak it all in, but once again the slow pace and the stretching out of a story that could have been told in less than 90mins made it dull and incoherent at times weakening all the good qualities.

It's too bad, cause Cage could have used a good movie were he's putting to use the acting chops that won him an Oscar.

Cage plays a man struggling with personal demons, some his own vices. Some vices pass down from his father, played by Peter Fonda who becomes the center of attention the moment he comes on screen.

Overall, it's not a bad picture, but it could have been better.

In The Runner, Nicolas Cage plays a Louisiana politician who has to deal with a sex scandal and other personal issues. His performance is appropriately subdued and introspective; he also uses a Southern accent fairly convincingly. This is as close to watching Cage play Frank Underwood as we will ever get. The supporting cast is good too.

The problems lie in the production value. It looks cheap, the supporting characters are underwritten, and the direction is just baffling. There are so many unnecessary closeups, shot after shot, and it's all flat - no visual flair whatsoever. It doesn't help that the pacing is sluggish, so there's no way for the movie to gather momentum. It starts off running in quicksand and never gets out. There are brief moments where you care about the characters and that's solely because of the actors.

It could have been an engaging character study if there was a liveliness to the filmmaking and some semblance of pace. As far as Nic Cage performances, this is definitely one of his better recent ones. But it's not worth sitting through this slog of a movie.

I have been avoiding this movie for years solely based on the IMDB rating.

I'm here to tell you it's a lie. How somebody could give this less than 6 or 7 is beyond me.

This movie is about courage and life's many realities.

It's rare Hollywood creates an honest movie, but this is one of them.

If you want a well acted movie, with great dialog and a boatload of honesty - watch this movie. You won't be disappointed.

Politicians are humans too. In case you were wondering or didn't know, this movie makes this clear. Though it does so, by using a lot of clichés. Still I take any decent role that Cage is putting out there and this certainly is one of them. While predictable and not as earnest as a recent politician who might be the front runner for the Democrats after President Obamas turn is over, the character portrayed by Nicolas Cage is charming, despite or maybe even because of his flaws and faults.

Having said that, there is a bit of sugar coating going on here (though not in the department of nudity, in case you were wondering), and it might feel a bit out of touch for some. Still the flow of the movie is nice and it works (mostly) ...

Nothing interesting happens in this movie, nothing. It opens with some BP Oil disaster nonsense and the aftermath of what happened to communities etc. with Cage playing a Congressman doing what he can for them. Unfortunately Cage's character is a bit flawed, but this is hardly shown in an interesting way whatsoever, and a later scandal happens its actually hard to understand what the big deal was. The editing is terrible, the story is boring, the plot is poorly executed, not that there is one really as nothing interesting happens at all. The wife is a boring character, in fact, I'd say there are NO interesting characters in this movie whatsoever. Now, I do actually like Cage in certain movies, he can act really maniacal at times which is what we love him for etc. but here any 'actor' could have taken this role and done just as well. This is a slow moving, bore-fest. Even the music is bad. I'd say the direction was spot on, if the tone of this movie was meant to put you to sleep. Give this one a miss.

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.

I always appreciate films that juxtapose important issues with a fictional human element. The Runner successfully did that, mixing a documentary insight into the BP oil spill's effects while also remaining a character study of a corrupt politician. This film came at the right time – the spill happened 5 years ago, and people have forgotten about the trauma it caused. I hope this film reminds people of the spill's lasting effects. Nicolas Cage is a mesmerizing actor, who has done a ton of crap lately, but here he displayed that he can still act. Similar to Joe, Cage strayed away from his typical madman role, playing a vulnerable and human version of Frank Underwood (House of Cards). There are a few other good character actors in this, especially Peter Fonda. The movie runs on the short side – it's definitely worth a watch.

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.

This film is about a dreadful man whom cheated on his wife then resigned. Then sold his soul and went back on his beliefs to be a senator . And to boot it was incredibly boring. Also couldn't stop looking at cage and the dreadful make up he was wearing.

The Runner starring Nicolas Cage. While The Runner is just another mundane campaign trailblazer, Nicolas Cage still has some gas left in the tank. When the film bad, it's hard to watch. But because Cage is almost able to save The Runner completely on his own – despite the help of Peter Fonda, Connie Nielsen, and Sarah Paulson, we're able to walk away with a glimmer of hope for future Nic Cage features. Unfortunately, that's about the only thing we can remain stoked about once Stark's character dissection comes to an end. The film stables for a while and is predictable for this case of a film. It is more seen as a slow paced political drama, underneath its release which was limited then went straight to video through some places. There are reasons for this. However, do not expect nothing more than a typical run of the mill drama.

I like Nic Cage. Not really as an actor, but I just enjoy seeing him in movies and in general they are pretty enjoyable.

But this.

This is just a cheap rip-off of House of Cards with a horrible, horrible story. The protagonist is a mix of Peter Russo and Frank Underwood, trying to convince us we have a charismatic, mighty person in front of us like Underwood, while attempting to give him the emotional level and the development of Russo.

And this is just horrible.

Cage just isn't capable of transmitting this level of emotion to the viewer (first scene where he cried we started to laugh - literally), as the writer isn't capable of delivering any kind of believable plot and character decisions.

So I just say it like it is: Even though I like Cage, this movie is not good. I would neither recommend buying, nor watching it. You'll waste your time.

Man oh man, I have been bingewatching Nicholas Cage movies (the latest ones) and I am getting depressed by the inferior quality of these B-movies Nicholas Cage has been starring in lately.

The bad: this is suppose to be a drama. It is NOT. Not even close.

Cheap looking photography. Rubbish direction. Average (or below) supporting actors. This is not a movie, this could (at best) have been a tv movie (a very bad one).

Nicholas Cage does his best, but even his performance isnt noteworthy. Let's forget this was ever made...

Writer / director Austin Stark likes good actors to play lame, dislikeable characters in underwhelming socio-political dramas. Before co-helming period dud "Coup" his 2015 debut "The Runner" was even worse, wasting the talents of Nicholas Cage & Sarah Paulson (!). Caught in an affair, upcoming Louisiana politician Cage resigns (as advised by his team inc Paulson), loses wife Connie Nielsen, & hits the sauce (following alcoholic politician dad Peter Fonda)... but thru it all might a political comeback be on? Being so morose & melodramatic in tone though, nobody watching is even likely to care. Stark sadly is not one to watch... but they cannot all be Ti West, right?

Nic cage is congressman pryce, just after the BP oil spill off the florida and louisiana. Coast. Brought to you by the school of overacting. Pryce works very hard to get the cleanup operation the workers and supplies that they need. He's very visible. But he also has some secrets and bad habits in his daily life. Which his voters might not like, if he runs for the senate. A lot of the story centers on his run for senate and what his constituents may or may not think about his personal and political life. Co-stars sarah paulson, peter fonda. It's okay. Interesting personal story, mixed in with the history of the devastatubg oil spill. Written and directed by austin stark. Cage is so much better in moonstruck... watch that instead.

I don't know what the problem is with movies these days other than it seems that only fast paced, herky jerky camera work and shock value entertainment draws the masses in..... but this movie was very, very good and sadly, terribly overlooked. Maybe it was overlooked because Nic Cage isn't on the flavor of the month list anymore but it's a shame that it was totally ignored by the critics and audience both.

Cage did a wonderful job of playing a conflicted, somewhat tortured train wreck waiting to happen but good hearted politician who truly cares about the people he represents during the BP oil spill in the gulf. He delivers a truly human and well measured performance and you couldn't see the "acting" in his performance one iota. To me, that's a very good, if not great performance.

On a side note, I loved the music in the movie. Especially the Tom Waits song "Picture in a Frame".

Well done, Nicolas!

"I'm running for Senate to move things forward, not only for this great state of Louisiana, for this great country."

Every time I tend to give Nicolas Cage yet another chance to prove to me why I admired him in the past. What a pleasure it was to see him at work in "Matchstick Men". How impressive he was with his unforgettable role in "Leaving Las Vegas". Admittedly, in the past there were also a few crappy films with him starring in it. Recent years he manages to participate in one failure after the other. Just look at "Ghost Rider", "Tokarev" and "Outcast". The only noticeable better movie between all these is "Joe" (although I still need to see it). The rest is just sad. That's why Cage looks more sad in each released movie. Just look at the cover of "The Runner". Those tired, tormented, sad eyes speak volumes.

"The Runner" isn't really such a movie that introduces the revival of Cage's film career. And yet I respect Cage for his courage to participate in a politically charged film like this. Because to be honest, politic isn't really an exciting topic to fill a feature film. Politic is boring, sometimes unworldly, incomprehensible and uninteresting to me. It's therefore not surprising that these are also the characteristics of this political drama. The title of the film is a bit misleading. It's not that Cage runs around to provide financial support for local fisheries. Nor that he swiftly runs from one lover to another. Or that it has a symbolic meaning when it comes to his flight out of alcoholism. It simply refers to the daily habit of Congressman Colin Price (Nicolas Cage), to put on a pair of running shoes every morning, so he can go jog a bit.

It's all about the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico where an explosion on an oil rig caused oil streaming into the sea for months. Southern states like Louisiana and Alabama were hit by this oil spill. Price is a congressman in Louisiana and he's concerned about the fate of the local fishermen and industries. In an emotional plea during an television interview, he draws attention to the economic consequences of this environmental disaster. At once he's the center of attention and his employees see this as an opportunity to let his political career grow. Unfortunately some surveillance recordings are revealed with compromising images of this congressman with an African American young lady in an elevator. Price is truly concerned about these fishermen because she's the wife of an African American fisherman. His political career hits rock bottom and before he knows it, he's looking again at the bottom of a whiskey bottle. Typical American. At least the man tries to do something for the hard-working working man and before you know it, the media comes up with some facts related to the man's private life.

The only ray of light in this unnecessary film, filled with political drivel and unabashed corruption, is the magnificent acting by Peter Fonda. He plays Colin's father and he's also a former politician who has swum through difficult waters (oil-free in his case). He also has an enormous alcohol problem. The relationship between both hard-boiled politicians isn't so good. And you can say that's an understatement. There are some wonderful acting moments between father and son. But for the rest, this film is as dead as the fish in the oiled seawater. Apparently politicians are energetic. A trait this film really doesn't possess. Lets hope Cage looks a bit more cheerful in his next film !

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Rating Breakdown: Story - 1.00 :: Direction - 1.25 :: Pace - 0.75 :: Performances - 1.25 :: Entertainment - 0.75 :::: TOTAL - 5/10

The Runner is a political drama that, much like an overlong campaign speech, starts strong but occasionally loses steam. It tells the story of Colin Pryce (Nicholas Cage), a well-intentioned Louisiana congressman fighting Big Oil in the wake of the Deepwater Horizon disaster while simultaneously watching his career, marriage, and personal life sink faster than approval ratings after a scandal.

Cage delivers a measured performance, stripping away his signature manic energy in favor of a restrained, human portrayal. His Colin is a man trying to do good, but as with most politicians, his own weaknesses-namely an affair and a crumbling marriage to his status-obsessed wife (Connie Nielsen)-prove to be his undoing. Peter Fonda adds gravitas as his whiskey-drenched, no-nonsense father, offering sage advice wrapped in cynicism.

The film boasts strong performances, thoughtful characterizations, and a premise ripe for compelling drama. But then there's the pacing-oh, the pacing. Some scenes linger unnecessarily, dialogue exchanges stretch beyond their welcome, and moments that should crackle with political tension instead simmer gently, waiting for something-anything-to ignite. Director Austin Stark does an admirable job balancing the political and personal stakes, but his approach is more functional than inspired.

Still, there's something engaging about The Runner, especially if you're in the right mood. It's a Sunday afternoon kind of film-best enjoyed post-roast dinner, when you're content to sit back and watch a good (if slightly slow) drama unfold. It's not The Ides of March, nor is it House of Cards, but it's a decent enough entry in the "flawed but well-meaning politician" genre.

It won't set the world on fire, but it burns just brightly enough to keep you watching.