It almost seems cliché to say that the silence was deafening, but there is no better way to describe it.  About 88 minutes into The Sum of All Fears, director Phil Alden Robinson delivers a chillingly powerful and unexpected sucker punch.  Granted, in the wake of September 11^th, the imagery has much more impact, but for so many other reasons, it flies in the face of conventional film making.  Fears is a masterfully intelligent, if not frighteningly possible, film that succeeds as not only a thriller, but a reminder of what could be.  The film doesn’t glorify or patronize but presents things as they could happen.  The results are chilling and disturbing, as they are supposed to be.  Clancy’s novels have always had a knack for presenting plausible scenarios and resolutions that may scare and hopefully awaken the naïve and oblivious.  After 9/11, very few of us qualify for that, but for those who forget, this film is a strong wake-up call.

“If we launch and we’re wrong,  what’s left of Russia is gonna launch at us, there will be a nuclear holocaust beyond imagination” - Lt Cmdr Hunter (Denzel Washington) Crimson Tide (1995)

The ideas and actions are reminiscent slightly of what may have been going on above the water during Crimson Tide, although the screenplay is a bit more detail-filled, while the key plot point borrows from Black Sunday. The villains in the film use ideals that they claim Hitler failed to achieve.  Instead of trying to attack and conquer both the United States and Russia, why not have them cancel each other out and them swoop in and clean up the remnants.  The story originates in the early 70s, when an Israeli jet was shot down and dropped a nuclear bomb into the Egyptian desert.  Flashing forward to present day, this bomb has fallen into the wrong hands, but the mystery is whose hands has it fallen into. It is Jack Ryan’s job to find this out, along with trying to sort out political tensions.  The setup may be a bit tedious and confusing to those unfamiliar with the intricate workings and terminology.  But it all pays off and becomes clearer with actions and natural progressions of events that populate the final act.  There are additional plotlines and side stories, some of which work (Schreiber as an assassin/operative/informant, using his deep voice and creepy appearance to a tee) and others which don't (the feel-good ending, and the presence of Moynahan as Affleck's girlfriend, which serves one nice joke, but distracts otherwise).  These are present to add that touch of both Clancy's insight into the way our government works, and the human side of the decisions.  They do add a bit of flavor, but may have been able to be lessened a bit in favor of a harder, edgier film.

Affleck steps back from his typical pretty boy style and simply follows order both figuratively and literally, not becoming a distraction at all, while Freeman can play the intelligent, calm mentor out of sheer reaction.  Their chemistry is believable, while the frustrations and reactions of Cromwell, Rifkin and Hall (as the president and his advisors) are more reminiscent of the madness and emotions that I can imagine would ensue in this type of situation.  The characters are numerous and become pawns in Robinson’s game as he barks out Clancy’s commands.  After 9/11, it still may refresh the memories of those who were affected most but as many have correctly stated, if we ignore both the event and the possibilities and let it mold our thoughts, then we are letting the bastards win.  Robinson delivers an unexpected wallop in the gut (unless you pay attention to the poorly done previews) and has both the nerve and finesse to pull it off.  So many times, moves have danced around the topics with near misses, nick of time saves and heroic gestures.  Robinson pulls no punches but does it tastefully, believably and successfully so that it doesn’t come off as preachy, but rather strong, heartfelt and real.

Ultimately, The Sum of All Fears is an intelligent viewer, whose perspective and sensibilities were tragically changed by horrific events.  This film adds up to much more than the sum of it's parts, while giving a foreshadowing wakeup call.  Before 9/11, this still would have been a good movie, because of an intelligent script, a solid focus, and non-distracting performances.  Unfortunately, it now becomes a somber reminder for those whose guard may have dropped a bit, a reminder film that packs a wallop that hits all to close to home.  While the feelgood ending is a bit much, and the facts are at times hard to follow, the actions, the results, and the suspense are undeniable.  It is truly frightening to imagine how Clancy knows as much as he does in regards to the intricacies and inner workings of our government.  Thankfully, Robinson captures it, without convoluting the action, or lessening the repurcussions.  See this film for what it is, and understand and learn, what could be.   

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