Wag the Dog (1997)

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- Sam - 1900-01-01 00:00:00
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"I must not have been cynical enough" is a phrase I rarely think about myself, but I can see no other reason for my lack of interest in Wag the Dog when I saw it all those years ago. Brean (Robert De Niro), a political operator, recruits Stanley Motss (Dustin Hoffman), a movie producer, to help distract the public from the President's dirty laundry. The trick? They will invent a war.

After the Trump era threw is into a post-truth world, the funniest part is the idea that the joyful scheming here is even necessary. But it's still a glorious, hilariously cynical black comedy, where every grievous setback is met with a "that's nothing!" and the start of an anecdote about a troubled production.

David Mamet's dialogue is always a delight and everyone here looks to be having fun. Woody Harrelson's deranged Sgt. Schumann is a nice highlight in the final act.

- Sam - 2021-07-19 13:18:47