Wag The Dog (1997)

It's Election night in South Africa, ballots are being counted and fingers being crossed - and a bunch of Born-Free's have gotting their chance to excercise the South African Dream (some doing Madiba proud, others making asses of themselves across the social networks - it's cringe-worthy stuff).

So what more fitting than to watch a political comedy... Look - it could have been some deep movie about the struggle and the road we as South Africans have taken, but this is feeling a little bit tired at the moment, number one because we've lived and are living it, and B. mostly because the state of our nation is somewhat of a joke (and this is not only in my eyes, we have are becoming an international travesty, you just have to appreciate the fact that most of our honesty in the media rests in the hands of our satirical cartoonists, who are blessed with an endlessly replenishing source of inspiration).

It's America, with less than two weeks to the elections, and a sex scandal involving the President is about to hit the country. A task team is called in headed by an external fixer, this ain't no Kerry Washington (incidently, Scandal is called The Fixer in South Africa, because we already have a piece of crap, Low-budget, Soap Opera by that name), this fixer is Robert de Niro Bitches! and he don't play small, how do we deflect the attention of the public from the scandal? Higher a Hollywood Producer (Dystin Hoffman) and stage a fake war against, who else, but Albania. Shit escalates and heaps of laughter (some loud, some hysterically internal) ensues...

Wag The Dog is a brilliant piece of satire.

Now I've watched the movie a few times, and always find the beginning very klunky, almost on the verge of being inaccessible, but when you stick with it, boy does it deliver. It's exceptionally intelligent, thought provoking, unashamedly attacking, yet an absolutely hysterical piece of farce, which will make you laugh and think. It also happens to have been released right before the Lewinsky scandal broke in America (funny that), and which alongside Primary Colors is satire at it's absolute essential best.

It also happens to be Oscar fodder.

1. Because it's brilliantly written and got an Oscar nom because of its genius.

2. Because it's brilliantly cast, with Dustin Hoffman deservedly getting an Oscar nom in the Best Actor category for his performance.

And it really is the Hoffman and De Niro show, although there is great work done by the rest of the cast, which includes Anne Heche, Willie Nelson, Woody Harrison and the lady who plays the hysterical Thea Voula in My Big Fat Greek wedding (I'm greek, I can't not mention Andrea Martin, who isn't greek, but damn she's a brilliant non-greek greek!).

And back to the Real Elections - which have been a complete shambles in the run up to, with scandals happening all over the place, with our leaders and respected possibilities failing us on a massive scale, with a country still in recovery after the loss of our beloved ideal leader and the passing of an era, with a young generation who are the most powerful, yet under-educated lot this country has ever produced (and even the well educated have massive failings as they have demonstrated on facebook and twitter today), with a national broadcaster which is being hitlered into a propoganda machine - at the end of it all, as a father with a young son which is being raised in this country, I am fearful of the unfolding future before us and am just grateful that our leaders don't have access to the scary propositions in this movie, and it's not for a lack of trying, the only saving grace being that we, the public, can see the bullshit for what it actually is, because our fixers ain't got no Robert De Niro or Hoffman Bitches!

So yes, I have been away, not because I want to be, trust me, there is nothing more I would rather do than sit and watch and share movies with you, just can't do it. But I have a mission at hand, and have no fear, I will complete it, it just might take a little longer...

That said, Wag The Dog is the 63rd Oscar Nom movie watched for this blog, and the 4th from the 70th Academy Awards - Great Stuff!

nuff said...