. WAG THE DOG
A film review by Christopher Null
Copyright 1998 Christopher Null
Another year-end flick with another four-star rating? What, am I nuts, or just some corporate tool shilling for would-be Oscar contenders?
Never mind that I am saving up all my *real* praise for SPICEWORLD next week... I'll try to lay it on again for WAG THE DOG. It's a great little premise: what would happen if you tried to produce a phony war as a diversion away from a lecherous President's leisure time? A lot of wacky hijinks, from the looks of it! With everything from a "We Are the World" parody to a memorial for a P.O.W., WAG THE DOG is really just a send-up of America's fascination with war from WWII through the Gulf War, where combat truly became a ridiculous exercise in soundbites and TV footage.
The story is good, the comedy is goofy but still solid, but it's Dustin Hoffman that is the crown jewel of the film, hamming it up as a kind of C.C. De Mille-meets-Liberace egomaniac/movie producer. De Niro's understated cover-up man is also good, and Anne Heche's Prince Valiant haircut is interesting, at the very least.
Finally, the commentary on our society is pretty rich, and I can't help but think that a lot of people are going to be subtly offended by this movie. I think that pleases me most of all. You see, as WAG THE DOG states, modern war really is a "pageant." It's more dangerous to drive to work than hit the front lines... if there are any lines, that is. Is it live, or is it Memorex? What's the difference?
Enjoy.
RATING: ****
|------------------------------|
\ ***** Perfection \
\ **** Good, memorable film \
\ *** Average, hits and misses \
\ ** Sub-par on many levels \
\ * Unquestionably awful \
|------------------------------|
MPAA Rating: R
Director: Barry Levinson Producer: Robert De Niro, Barry Levinson, Jane Rosenthal Writer: Hilary Henkin, David Mamet Starring: Dustin Hoffman, Robert De Niro, Anne Heche, Denis Leary, Willie Nelson
http://www.wag-the-dog.com
-Christopher Null / null@sirius.com / Writer-Producer -Visit the Movie Emporium at http://www.filmcritic.com
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