Movie Review: Atlas Shrugged
Last night my wife Bev and I saw “Atlas Shrugged” at the Fox. The crowd was late arriving, but the place looked sold out by the time the film rolled. To me, the audience looked younger and grungier than typical movies at the Fox. I was excited. Afraid I would not be able to see the film on Saturday night, I bought tickets online through Fandango. The Friday night show at 7:25 was sold out.
I thought the film was almost exactly like the book. I knew just when to echo those famous words, “Who is John Galt?” Dagny Taggert was played by Taylor Shilling. She is perfect. She’s beautiful, thin, well dressed and when she turns those big, round, blue eyes on you…well she’s perfect. Hank Rearden played by Grant Bowler was a great pick, too. I just pictured him a little fatter.
The book to Ayn Rand ten years to write and was published in 1957. I’ve read it at least four times. To me the film, set in 2016, had a perfect balance between modern and an smokey, film noir look of the fifties. The bad guys from James Taggert, and Wesley Mouch, to the lobbyists and the union leaders were taken right out of Washington D.C. today.
Watching the film brought on a certain sadness. It could have been a documentary of our times. On the other hand, there was joy that finally many will see this film that haven’t read the book.
One moment of joy was watching the train run on Rearden Steel. My only nit would be the bridge across a chasm that was built in something under six months. When the film ended, the whole audience, with the exception of Bev who thought it had a made for TV look, erupted in enthusiastic applause.
I’m glad it was finally made and turned out as good as you say. It is in this particular day and age when the American public needs Atlas Shrugged more than ever.
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