'Man of the Year'

Robin William
Christopher Walken
Laura Linney
Lewis Black
Jeff Goldblum

PG13           115min           2006

‘Man of the Year' is not what I expected from this movie. Its about a political comedy i.e. Jon Stewart who at the prompting of a audience member to his show runs for the President of the United States and wins.

Barry Levinson put together a group of actors that played to their abilities and as such this cast shines in this film. Robin Williams is funny in his part. There is even a funny bit on Saturday Night Live. But I felt Lewis Black was the funniest. Having just discovered him in ‘Accepted’ his rambling was funnier to me than Williams, who does have some funny moments.

‘Man of the Year’ is an entertaining movie at face value. It makes you laugh. It does everything right and gives a complete story. I feel that this premise could be a great dramatic movie that address what this film makes light of.

There are real issues that were made light of that the American vote should address. As a voter I sometimes feel that my vote doesn’t count. Those that are elected have sold out to the lobbyist and special interest. There is no integrity in politic any more and this movie shows it in a comedic way.

What I felt hurt ‘Man of the Year’ was Williams’ Tom Dobbs naiveté; someone this close to politics should never be that naiveté. It just didn’t make sense and that’s where it lost me. With everything in history, JFK, Watergate, IRAN Contra and countless other things a person in politics should never go in with blinder on. Politics is a ruthless, dirt business. That not many can go into an come out unscathed.

Even as it rubbed me the wrong way I still fill that it did a good job it what it out lined. ‘Man of the Year’ is a comedic parody of the underdog winning the day and the integrity to do the right thing. But sometimes the right thing isn’t the right thing.

I give it 2/5 Gs