If you pay for HBO, then you were able to take in one of the most controversial movies released so far in 2012 – “Game Change“. The movie starring Julianne Moore as Sarah Palin looks back to 2008, during the greatest media zeitgeist we’ve seen in terms of presidential campaigns. One of its most important characters is featured in the movie, which most critics are lauding as real, emotional, and well acted by everyone involved.

When you release a movie like this, it’s most important that your characters feel real and not overly hammed up. According Roger Ebert of The Chicago Sun-Times, Julianne Moore was great, “In her performance, Julianne Moore doesn’t do an impersonation of Palin here, in the sense that Meryl Streep was uncanny in her resemblance to Margaret Thatcher in “The Iron Lady.” She looks about as much like Palin as she can, but that’s not the point. She conveys the essence. In a way, she’s unprotected. Not a hardened, cynical politician, but a woman who has gone through life expecting good things and usually found them.”

Along with strong performances, a politically charged movie such as this needs to be fair and not feel as though it’s simply lambasting a single idea or person. One IMDB review seems to think everyone’s political views will determine how they view the movie, “Liberals will see this as a confirmation of their most deeply held convictions about Sarah Palin; her supporters will see it as a typical attack of the mainstream media on a particularly outspoken representative of American patriotism. Most of those in the middle will view it as an interesting exploration of the process of picking and managing a Vice Presidential candidate during an unusually intense campaign.”

Twitter has let their reactions be known, and like anything politically charged, appears to be divided…

Interestingly enough, Sarah Palin herself says she won’t be watching the film. Though if you believe certain aspects of the movie, she will watch it and is personally hurt by the way much of the media portrays her. McCain has also spoken out against the movie, saying it’s based on a book completely without factual basis or actual quotes.

While the candidates who are portrayed in the movie won’t be viewing it, the campaign managers involved have seen it and both have said it’s mostly accurate. So take all of those reactions for what you will.

If you’re interested in the movie, but are still deciding whether or not to view it, enjoy the trailer below. If you have seen it, let us know what you thought of it in the comments.