I had seen a few allusions to this picture, primarily back in the '90s. Perhaps it would prove no more of a classic than the same year's Cliffhanger. But it was one of the few titles on my Netflix list to grab me at the moment and not be too much like anything I'd seen lately. Besides, it was due to stop streaming soon.
Decades after not preventing the JFK assassination, Frank Horrigan (Clint Eastwood) is still in the Secret Service. He and junior Agent Al D'Andrea (Dylan McDermott) investigate the apartment of a man (John Malkovich) who has reportedly shown signs of plotting a new presidential assassination. That man goes by multiple names but prefers "Booth" -- as he tells Horrigan in one of many hard-to-trace calls. Seems Booth is even more obsessed with Horrigan than with the commander in chief (Jim Curley), claiming a sort of kinship with an agent who got a raw deal but also taunting him for potential cowardice. As Horrigan struggles to find out who Booth is and when he'll strike, the chief of staff (Fred Thompson!) opposes the security measures Horrigan wants, because it's a bad look for the presidential campaign.
No, the president is not Bill Clinton or a knockoff thereof. He is never actually named. At most, agents call him by his code name, "Traveler." Pretty awkward, but I've seen other movies do likewise.
Booth makes for a compelling villain. He has serious relevant technical and physical skills, only slightly short of Bryan from Taken. He has a creepy voice even when trying to pass for innocent. Another time, he freely admits that many of his actions have been horrific, tho he doesn't take sole blame. It can be tricky to follow his twisted mind.
Perhaps the most distinctive thing about this story is how it explores the life of a bodyguard. Putting aside the shame that would come with failure, you need to believe strongly in certain principles to prepare to take a bullet for someone else. D'Andrea, for one, is on the verge of quitting. And given all the presidents of both major parties Horrigan has served under, you can bet he hasn't liked or agreed with them all.
Horrigan is maybe par for likability among Eastwood roles. Early on, he almost evokes Dirty Harry in his office clashes, but he is a good deal rulier (sorry if you wanted a less by-the-book resolution) and rarely comes across as remotely bigoted. I'm unfond of his budding relationship with Agent Lilly Raines (Rene Russo), between the age difference and the not-so-smooth transition from gentle hostility, but at least it's not The Bridge of Madison County.
Oh yeah: Ennio Morricone wrote the score. I don't remember how it goes, but I'm sure it enhanced the mood at moments that might otherwise have been somewhat bland.
ItLoF may not be a timeless treasure, but it has aged well enough so far. And in a particularly contentious election year, you might find the plot extra affecting.
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