Rob Lowe plays a high-powered political fixer in 'Knife Fight'
'Knife Fight' is interesting, but never reaches the caliber of other political movies like 'Manchurian Candidate.'
Rob Lowe stars in 'Knife Fight.'
Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP
Rob Lowe plays a high-powered political fixer in “Knife Fight,” a man who cleans up the sordid messes of his candidate clients.
His Machiavellian moxie is amusing and so, fitfully, is the film he figures in, directed and co-written by Bill Guttentag.
But it pales beside the best down-and-dirty political movies (ranging from “The Candidate” to “The Manchurian Candidate”) because, finally, it lacks the courage of its own lowdown convictions.
Lowe’s Paul is slimy, but, lo and behold, we are supposed to believe that he smells like a rose. He really wants to make the world a better place. His sentiments may be genuine but they come across as a con.
Grade: B- (Unrated.)