"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.