I read that this was a political themed comedy, the title certainly gave you an idea what it involved, and I was told it was a reasonably good watch, with average critic ratings as well, so I gave it a go, from director Hugh Wilson (Police Academy, The First Wives Club, Blast from the Past). Basically Doug Chesnic (Nicolas Cage) is a Secret Service Agent who works to protect the former First Lady and widow to the former President of the United States, Tess Carlisle (Golden Globe nominated Shirley MacLaine), it is a job he does not enjoy however, because he loathes the way she treats him. Tess treats Doug as more of a servant than a member of security, unlike her real assistant staff like chauffeur Earl Fowler (Austin Pendleton) and nurse Frederick (Richard Griffiths), she asks him to the simplest and most demeaning of tasks, and whenever he complains she calls the current President and he phones him in annoyance, and he can't seem to get away from her as she reassigns him after three years. But Tess during a hospital visit watches the footage of her late husband's funeral, and she notices Doug in the footage, she grieves for a long while, and as she recovers she tries to make more of an effort towards her head of security, and there is also a kidnap threat where he becomes highly concerned for her, so in the end Tess and Doug are much better toward each other. Also starring Edward Albert as Barry Carlisle, Independence Day's James Rebhorn as Howard Schaeffer, John Roselius as Tom Bahlor, David Graf as Lee Danielson, Don Yesso as Ralph Buoncristiani and James Lally as Joe Spector. Cage is relatively good being the annoyed bodyguard, but obviously the key role and the big reason for this film being mildly memorable is indeed MacLaine, the problem is though that her performance is so close to realistic that the film isn't all that funny, I didn't laugh that much to be honest, I found it annoying, predictable in places, cringing for the wrong reasons, and overall just a bit dull, not my kind of comedy. Okay!
Review of Guarding Tess
