8/8/2019 Genres - White Heat

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White Heat

Director Christopher Nolan

Writer Joel Surnov and Robert Cochran, adapted from novel of John Grissom.Starring 1. Denzel Washington-the strong, moral, president, Henry Page. Has been in power

for two months. Recently narrowly escaped two assassination attempts.2. Angelina Jolie-Cassandra Page, First Lady of the president.3. Zachary Levi-a Secret Service (SS) bodyguard (two years at present), Charles

Carmichael. On last legs after almost-fatal botch-up during the last assassinationattempt.

4. Natalie Portman-a SS bodyguard, Lisa Hopkins, and is reaching the year and ahalf anniversary of her relationship with Charles.

5. Tim Roth- the respected, no-nonsense, leader of the SS bodyguards, Jack

Coburn. Has been the mentor to Charles for the last two years.6. Gary Oldman-the political conspiracy theorist-come-activist, Bruce Faulkes, who

has been on the government watch-list in recent months, and is suspected of beinginvolved in the recent assassination attempts on the president.

Plot Synopsis

The film opens with President Henry Page on the verge of making a controversial move topull out of a foreign war, in an attempt to restart peaceful negotiations with them he ismaking a speech to a room of journalists, and it is being broadcast around the world. Atthis same time, Charles Carmichael and Lisa Hopkins are following up a lead, by order of

Jack Coburn, on the recent assassination attempts. They reach the meeting place, a run-down apartment block, only to find the three conspirators dead, and the apartment in amess. While searching the rooms for any clues, a man, quickly identified as Faulkes,escapes from one of the adjacent rooms, and runs out into the street. Moving muchquicker than Carmichael, Hopkins follows Faulkes into a subway, and is presumablycaptured by him. The trail goes cold for Carmichael.

Another lead on Faulkes shows up, and it appears his base of operations, where he keepsboth his plans/conspiracies and, it's hoped, Hopkins, whose fate is still uncertain. Anassault is made on the base, an abandoned factory, and, despite the death of twomembers of the assault team, Faulkes is arrested. Hopkins is found, alive. It seems the

threat is over.

Before being moved to the van, for the journey to the Pentagon, where he will be held forthe immediate future, Faulkes tries telling Carmichael that he has been framed, as part ofa very true government conspiracy, and that, and here's the deal-sealer, Carmichael mightnot be to blame for his previous botch-up after all, and was merely the scape-goat for thetrue saboteur. Though Carmichael wants to of course look into this, Coburn insteadasks/entrusts him to return to the White House to inform/update and protect the presidentin person for the time-being, before promising to look into the matter himself. Feeling fit forduty, Hopkins continues to the Pentagon with Coburn and Faulkes.

At the White House, after the First Lady, revealing her true intentions, poisons thepresident, Carmichael stops her from escaping, arresting her, and then notifies the medicalteam, who subsequently save the president.

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While at the Pentagon, Hopkins is on guard duty of the cells where Faulkes is being held,and grants Coburn permission to interview Faulkes, especially as she believes it is in orderto ascertain Carmichael's innocence from him. However, Coburn instead executesFaulkes, in order to stop him talking, and also murders Hopkins, who attempts to stop him,also realising that he was the one who had previously captured her.

Carmichael, though full of a desire to exact his revenge for Hopkins' death, is insteadordered to remain at the White House with the Secret Service, protecting the president,rather than hunting for Coburn.Coburn and a team of mercenaries storm the White House, quickly wiping out the majorityof its defences, before coming to a final showdown with Carmichael. After a shoot-out andthen close-quarters fight, admitting defeat, Coburn tries to persuade Carmichael that hehas given up, and is ready to surrender. Lying, though Carmichael's defence ismomentarily lowered, he goes for a kill-shot, but Carmichael is quicker, and fires two shotsat Coburn.

In the end, though he has lost his mentor and friend, Coburn, and his girlfriend, Hopkins,

as well as the fact that the president will never fully recover from his poisoning,Carmichael's name is completely cleared of any wrong-doing, as his botch-up was in fact acause of the First Lady's tampering with the security arrangements, not Carmichael's.