In 1959, a clever little satirical film came along that dealt with a small, desperate and utterly fictitious country ("Grand Fenwick") that declared war on the United States knowing full well that it would lose, but reap the benefits of postwar rehabilitation. Starring at the time an unknown Peter Sellers, "The Mouse That Roared" went on to be a big hit.
Now nearly forty years later, another staged war is needed not to save a country, but a presidency, and we get it in the form of "Wag the Dog." A clever, hilarious, and occasional insider's look at the relationship between Washington politics and Hollywood entertainment, this film should also be a big hit (at least among those Washington and L.A. insiders). To make sure we know what kind of ride we're in for (and to explain the title), the film opens with the following statement: "Why does a dog wag its tail? Because a dog is smarter than its tail. If the tail were smarter, the tail would wag the dog."
That perfectly describes what's become an intricately interwoven political/entertainment relationship. And rarely has there been a movie as effective as this one in skewering both. Oscar winning director Barry Levinson ("Rainman," and also nominated for "Bugsy"), and writers Hilary Henkin and David Mamet (working from Larry Beinhart's novel, "American Hero") have concocted an amusing, sharply written satire that's quite simply one of the best films of the year.
Although it often has a documentary feel that gives it something of a rushed look, that only adds to the overall effect the film's trying to present. Shot in an amazingly short two week period, the film's rushed look further emphasizes the "fly by the seat of your pants" work that the spin doctors perform on their story. Oscar winning cinematographer Robert Richardson ("J.F.K.") often uses a handheld camera to create that documentary feel. His and Levinson's efforts are welcomed as they give the picture a raw feel that's contrasts Levinson's more recent, highly polished works. To cap off the feature, they've thrown in Mark Knopfler's (of the group Dire Straits) score that has an aura of Americana whimsey as does an assortment of other music/songs heard throughout the film.
The polished part of the movie comes in the form of the impressive cast members who are perfectly placed in their respective roles. Two-time Academy Award winner Robert De Niro ("The Godfather, Part II," and "Raging Bull" out of six nominations) is a delight as the mysterious political spin doctor. Audiences always love characters who are in control, and there's nearly no one better to assume that role than De Niro. While he plays one of his more subdued characters (compared to his often intense performances) and we never know much about his character, we don't really need to. He's the enigmatic hired gun who's ridden into town to take care of a problem and who will disappear into the sunset when the job's done.
Of course such a character always needs a partner, and here we get Dustin Hoffman. Also a winner of two Oscars out of six nominations ("Kramer vs. Kramer" and "Rainman"), this is Hoffman's best role in a long time. Although he finally breaks down near the end and delivers his now trademark intense, impassioned speech, for the most part he plays against what's become his normal characterizations. As the unflustered Hollywood producer, he's hilarious to watch as he spouts off reasons why their team's setbacks are nothing compared with what he's been through in years of producing films.
He tells the others that they should have seen the time he was shooting "The Four Men of the Apocalypse" and three of the four men died two weeks before wrapping, or in another film where four months into the film he found out he didn't have the rights to the material. To him, CIA intervention or the President's opponent declaring that their made up war is over, is nothing but a minor setback. After all, politics and war are nothing more than entertainment and who better to control that than a Hollywood producer. Hoffman creates a character who's so into what he does, that like De Niro's confident creation, we as the audience just can't get enough of him.
The rest of the cast is also impressive, ranging from Anne Heche ("Volcano") in a flustered role, to Denis Leary ("The Ref"), Woody Harrelson ("Natural Born Killers"), and William H. Macy ("Fargo") in supporting performances. It's Harrelson, however, who nearly steals the show as a wacked out, heavily medicated, and psychotic military prisoner. If you can imagine a dumber, but whacked out version of his character Woody from TV's "Cheers," you'll kind of get the picture.
The film is filled with so many funny moments, speeches, and bits of satire that I possibly couldn't list all of them, and many wouldn't seem funny taken out of context. Seen and heard during the movie, however, and they're not only often knee slapping funny, but also quite clever. Such moments include a "We Are the World" spoof, several funny scenes with Willie Nelson penning some hilarious campaign type songs, and a witty bit where holes have been torn in a P.O.W.'s shirt that are really morse code symbols (a clever twist on the real life P.O.W. who blinked morse code with his eyes years ago). There's also a fun, drum driven military ballad ("The Men of the 3-0-3") and of course some insultingly inane campaign commercials that infuriate Hoffman's character (he calls them "the work of amateurs").
An interesting point is that beyond a few glimpses (mainly of the back of his head), very little is seen of the President himself. Of course that's because it's the story and not the man that's important. The spin doctors could care less about the President. For Conrad, it's about creating a successful diversion, while Stanley simply delights in producing an "epic." What make the movie so much fun is seeing these two characters who are so in control of their actions and their resulting achievements. Although they run into obstacle after obstacle, they continue on. Much like audiences enjoy watching Bruce Willis get through his "Die Hard" predicaments, De Niro and Hoffman create such confident and memorable characters that you can't help but root for them and certainly can't take your eyes off them. When De Niro outwits and talks down a CIA agent who's on to their ploy, the results are nothing less than outstanding.
Nearly everything about this film is perfect, including a short running time (around 1:45 with credits) that prevents the satire from becoming stale or running out of steam. Featuring impressive performances, sharp direction, and wittily barbed writing, this is easily the best satire to come down the pike in years. The only bad thing about it is that it may just be closer to the truth about politics than many people would like to believe. If you're in the mood for some clever and quite amusing satire, make sure you see this film. We give "Wag the Dog" an 8.5 out of 10.
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