WAG THE DOG
A film review by David N. Butterworth
Copyright 1997 David N. Butterworth
*** (out of ****)
Don't get me wrong.
"Wag the Dog" isn't a bad film by any means. In fact, it's thoroughly enjoyable. But its comedy is better described as frothy and lightweight than biting and satirical.
Some clues become evident early on. The tag line uses a structure that has been done to death: "A comedy about truth, justice, and other special effects." The pre-credits explanation of the title phrase is simply unnecessary. And almost everything else feels familiar, as if begged, borrowed, or stolen from other films.
Funny? Very. Original? Nah.
Robert De Niro plays Conrad Brean, a "Mr. Fix-It" recruited by government officials to help the President out of a tight spot. Eleven days before the election our nation's leader has been caught with his hands in the cookie jar--a sex scandal with an underage girl scout. Conrad needs a distraction before the story breaks. Something big. How about...a war? With, er...Albania? Not a real war, of course. "A pageant."
Conrad trots off to seek the assistance of Stanley Motss (Dustin Hoffman), a Hollywood producer whose home is bigger than the White House. Stanley, who's never won an award of any kind (since no one understands producers), sees this fabricated conflict as his big opportunity, his "Doctor Zhivago," if you will. Much humor is derived from the fact that Stanley is always intoning "this is *nothing*!" when things start getting out of hand. "Try a ten o'clock pitch meeting coked to the gills and you haven't even read the treatment! *That's* hard."
With "Wag the Dog," Hoffman continues to prove he's one of the most versatile actors around. De Niro, no slouch either, has a more subdued role in the picture; the two of them play off each other like Bert and Ernie.
Anne Heche, perhaps better known for her off-screen role than her on-screen characterizations, is efficient and spunky as White House aide Winifred Ames. Willie Nelson has a small but cute bit as--what else--a country/western songwriter churning out patriotic pop. In fact, with the exception of Woody Harrelson, whose loonie-with-bad-teeth-in-a-wool-cap character is starting to get real old real fast, the cast is nicely balanced.
Director Barry Levinson reportedly pulled all this together in a scant four weeks. With that in mind, the film is remarkably well crafted--breezy camerawork, careful staging, lots of zingy, David Mamet-penned dialogue, and twangy, toe-tapping music by Dire Straits-man Mark Knopfler.
The idea of marketing a war out of political need was more broadly realized in "Canadian Bacon," an under-appreciated 1994 comedy that starred the late great John Candy. As for a scathing satire of the news media, Paddy Chayefsky's brilliant "Network" has yet to find an equal. For a biting satirical comedy, see "The Player." Or "Broadcast News." Or "The Great McGinty." The list goes on.
While "Wag the Dog" doesn't have as much bite as any of those films, it's still an entertaining movie-going experience.
-- David N. Butterworth dnb@mail.med.upenn.edu
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