We rented Wag the Dog last night for obvious reasons. I laughed
my ass off at Hoffman's performance - he had some great plum
lines, like, "This is nothing. I was four months into
production on the Song of Solomon when I found out I didn't even
have the rights." I also got a kick out of the moment when
DeNiro and Heche insisted that the president wanted a white cat,
and Hoffman muttered to the Flame editor, "I hate it when
they meddle." That sort of thing happens *all the time* in
the advertising business.
The plot itself wasn't all that believable, despite the fact that
it expressed some painful truths about the relationship between
the media and politicians, and the obsequiousness of the
mainstream press when fed by the spin doctors. The aftermath of
the plane crash was way too fanciful from a story perspective,
but the symbolism of these characters standing around yelling at
each other in the burning underbrush was a nice touch; I thought
for a moment that they had all died and were in hell together.
The ending was the best part. Having gone through this
rollercoaster of political farce, the focus suddenly shifts to
what it's really about; not show business, but power.
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