Guarding Tess

Directed by Hugh Wilson, Guarding Tess details the battle of wills that ensues between an ambitious Secret Service agent (Nicolas Cage’s Doug Chesnic) and a grumpy, irascible former First Lady named Tess Carlisle (Shirley MacLaine). Filmmaker Hugh Wilson delivers a surprisingly lackadaisical narrative that does, at least initially, suffer from a decidedly uneven feel, as the movie, written by Wilson and Pj Torokvei, contains an episodic first half that’s just about as hit-and-miss as one could possibly envision – with the less-than-engrossing atmosphere compounded by an emphasis on Cage and MacLaine’s antagonistic encounters. It’s clear, then, that Guarding Tess benefits substantially from the stellar efforts of its eclectic cast, with the stars’ top-notch work matched by a superb roster of periphery performers that includes Austin Pendleton, James Rebhorn, and Richard Griffiths. The picture’s shift from passable to somewhat engrossing comes as the bond between Cage and MacLaine’s respective characters begins to deepen, and there’s little doubt, too, that the comparatively dramatic bent of Guarding Tess‘ final third ensures that the movie ends on an unexpectedly compelling note – which effectively does cement its place as an erratic yet rewarding star vehicle.

*** out of ****