"Man of the Year"

Film Review
"Man of the Year"
The Ithacan
October 26, 2006
570 words

"Satire's message falls short of poignant"

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Movie Review
Satire’s message falls short of poignant
By Mark Tedeschi / Contributing Writer
October 26, 2006
“Man of the Year,” director Barry Levinson’s latest cinematic foray into political commentary, arrives at an appropriate time. Unfortunately, the film’s erratic jumps across genres hinder the film from becoming the important protest piece it aspires to be.

Robin Williams stars as Tom Dobbs, a comedy talk show host who, encouraged by Internet fans, decides to run for president. He refuses to pay a single dime on television advertisements, instead relying on the support of Internet word-of-mouth and his attachment to a platform separate from parties and lobbyists.

Tom also shies away from comedy in his initial speeches, against the will of his manager, Jack Menken (Christopher Walken) and television show co-writer, Eddie Langston (comedian Lewis Black). At the presidential debates, Tom’s nervousness brings out his inner jokester, and the crowd ends up loving him.

The debate gets a little ridiculous. Tom’s opponents are meant to be boring, but they come off as completely unrealistic. And the television station’s response to Tom’s antics is less than professional. Nonetheless, Tom’s fans receive his approach with enthusiasm, but according to Eleanor Green, Laura Linney’s character, not enough to garner an actual win. Eleanor works for Delacroy, a corporation in charge of America’s new voting system that officially declares Tom the new president. Eleanor initiates a few battles of validity and integrity with him.

Williams brings his recognizable style of humor to the film, but because Levinson caters his movie to that particular humor, Tom seems more like Williams than his own character. It is obvious when Williams attempts to make a funny and the punch line isn’t good enough to justify the buildup. As Tom points out in the film, “If you tell a joke that stinks and put a laugh track over it, the joke still stinks.”

Linney’s performance pulses with intensity, particularly in one scene when Eleanor experiences a sort of drug-induced breakdown in a coffee shop. The emotional tenor of her disorderly confusion showcases Levinson’s skillful direction, which is more effective than his writing. The 1997 film “Wag the Dog” was Levinson’s last exploration of American politics and was penned by David Mamet. Perhaps Levinson should have enlisted someone to fine-tune the story’s balance between throwaway one-liners and effective satire.

The political-thriller aspect of the script is welcome but unexpected. Once audiences realize the predictable ending was inevitable from the start, they can ponder the film’s thematic raison d’être: Those who control thought in this country — politicians, corporations and the media — have a responsibility to sustain honesty and credibility.

The need to kick the man in the pants is lately becoming more prevalent in movies and television (“Good Night and Good Luck” and “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip,” among others). And if the fake growing Internet campaign for the nonexistent Jon Stewart/ Stephen Colbert ticket for presidency in 2008 is any indication of America’s dissatisfaction with politics, then “Man of the Year” isn’t quite so far from reality.

In the film, viewers are reminded that “the difference between fiction and nonfiction is that fiction has to be credible.” The film’s helter-skelter identity crisis sadly causes the loss of that which it touts as crucial. Many of the scenes are engaging, and the concept is close-to-home enough to keep audiences in their seats. With less misguided goofiness, “Man of the Year” could have been more than just a well-intentioned step in the right direction of political satire.

“Man of the Year” was written and directed by Barry Levinson.
“Man of the Year” received two stars.