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Life imitating art? You may ask, or was the movie so good
and so cleverly done that the staff of a non-celluloid president
might be tempted to try the thing in real life?
Whatever the circumstance, it is fair to say that Wag
the Dog is one of the best political satires produced
for a very long time.
The White House calls in its top troubleshooter to get the
Prez out of the doo-doo and Ronnie Bream (Robert De Niro)
is more than happy to oblige.
The greatest spin doctor ever to operate, Bream sets to knocking
the Commander in Chief's predilection for young girls off
the front pages. His only way, he knows, is to have a war.
Albania, that country near the Serb province of Kosovo, is
chosen and so to avoid US casualties he decides on a war in
which the only shooting is done via a camera.
Enter Hollywood producer Stanley Moss (Dustin Hoffman) who
launches himself into the phoney war as if it were an Oscar-night
production. De Niro and Hoffman are both sensational.
The former plays the secretive, media-savvy Bream to perfection,
while Hoffman is in a class of his own as the super stylish
and brilliant director.
Helping them are presidential advisor Anne Heche and movies
expert Denis Leary, while Willie Nelson and Woody Harrelson
play key roles as musician and returning hero. Harrelson's
part is particularly eye-catching and was probably the most
fun to play.
An absolute delight for anyone who views politicians and
the media with more than a huge helping of cynicism.
Conclusion: Movie: 90% DVD
Extras: 70%
Continued:
DVD details at a glance >
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