Reagan (2025)

It is an ambitious film, I'm afraid, which tells, perhaps too quickly, of Regan's political ‘exploits’, always in constant struggle against Russia, USSR, The Soviet Union, ‘The Soviets’, or whatever you want to call them.

We are also given notes on his childhood and the enormous importance of his mother in his upbringing and outlook on life.

Also (but far less than I would have liked) some touches of his time as a Hollywood actor.

The result is, to my taste and contrary to what I've read around, more or less entertaining. At least, being 135 minutes long, I didn't find it heavy and it's always interesting to know, more or less, about events that took place in the eighties, mainly of enormous political-social importance in the world.

Making a biopic of a historical figure as controversial as Ronald Reagan is no easy task, although it can make for a film full of good moral conflicts and great dramatic sequences.

The former governor is considered by many Americans to be one of the country's most controversial presidents, whose term of office was punctuated by both good and bad decisions and who was adored by conservative groups and rejected by liberal groups.

Dennis Quaid does an interesting job in his portrayal of Ronald Reagan, aptly imitating the former president's gaze and gestures, as well as his characteristic tone of voice.

However, the constant search for recreation means that the actor ends up falling into excess, and at times his role can be seen as a kind of parody, especially when he plays the young version.

The make-up work is uneven in this sense, as there are few changes in the characters as the film progresses, the only admirable aspect being the way in which Jon Voight's character is tackled.

‘Reagan's cinematography is fine. The 70s and 80s setting is adequate and helps to contextualise the story, although the production design and costume elements feel somewhat stereotypical and don't add an extra level of realism.

The soundtrack, unobtrusive, lacks memorability and does not enhance the weight of key moments in the former president's life.

The editing, on the other hand, could have been more precise, as certain time jumps are abrupt and leave the viewer with the feeling that some significant moments have been rushed through.