Wolff rating: GOOD
Plot summary: A sleep- and food-deprived Californian Senator loses his mind and, among other things, begins rapping out unpoliticized honesty messages.
Biased, pithy comments: Political satire can take two approaches; it can be warm, ultimately pro-American soft-focus humor like ``Dave,'' or it can be sinister, over-the-top irony like ``Wag the Dog.'' This is something in between; some genuinely funny moments of Warren Beatty dressed like a gangbanger striding around to his mental soundtrack of NWA, but the tone of the film addresses bitter social issues like corporate control of the media, campaign financing, and the reality of the Democrats near-abandonment of the ghetto dwellers. The movie has the trappings of pure satire (white politicians rapping, say) but the tone of the movie takes itself quite seriously. I liked it, though there were moments of some imperfection here and there---some forced plot moments, some really odd lighting choices. Berry and Beatty are quite good, but I feel like Don Cheadle really stole the show as a drug-dealer/businessman.
How many times I have seen it: x1
Starring: Warren Beatty, Halle Berry, Don Cheadle, Oliver Platt.
Directed by: Warren Beatty