Seven Days in May

Seven Days in May (1964) starring Kirk Douglas, Burt Lancaster, Fredric March, Ava Gardner. After the president (March) signs a peace treaty with the Soviets, military aide Martin Casey (Douglas) begins to suspect his boss, General James Scott (Lancaster), of plotting to overthrow the U.S. government. Gardner is thrown into the mix as an ex-lover of General Scott, with letters -- written by him -- that could be used against him. The fact that President Lyman hesitates to use the letters is as quaint as the rest of the movie. As a relic of Cold War paranoia, this film serves a historical purpose. It's entertaining, suspenseful, and well acted. But it is also seriously dated. Although the hatred directed at President Lyman is reminiscent of the hatred directed at President Obama, that's the only similarity I noticed between this political thriller and modern America. The movie kept me watching, but in the end I was not terribly moved emotionally. Subtitles in English are available on the disc, as well as closed captions. Grade: B