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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..

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.

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.

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.