The Good: Funny, Interesting concept, Some good acting, Some decent characters
The Bad: Robin Williams entertains but does not act much
The Basics: Clever and alternately funny and intense, Man Of The Year creates a political satire that is populated with interesting characters and generally good performances.
While I often attempt to interject my personality - and certainly my views - in my reviews, I try to leave myself out of my reviews as much as possible. But on this occasion, I would like to open my review with a little personal history. In 2005, I ran for the United States House of Representatives as an Independent candidate in New York's 23rd Congressional District. For those checking the dates, you'll note that 2005 was not an election year. My strategy, as it was, was to spend two years campaigning and in that fashion give people in the district a chance to know me and what I stood for. Circumstances having less to do with the campaign, combined with my inability to raise a lot of money to campaign, forced me to fold the campaign after six months. From the first moments I campaigned, I knew I was a long shot, but I was undeterred because I believe there are certain principles in democracy that have been mortgaged in the United States in our times.
Tom Dobbs, a political satirist with a late night show, takes a cue from a fan and decides to get involved in the political process by running for president of the Unites States. Aided by his manager, Jack, and his television production staff, Dobbs makes a serious run for the Presidency and inadvertently wins. Dobbs is elected using new voting machines that have a serious flaw in their programming, a flaw realized by the program's designer. Once Dobbs is elected, Eleanor does her best to come forward, but she finds herself hunted by the company she worked for and her life is put in jeopardy.
What I enjoyed most about Man Of The Year was the political philosophy of it. Writer/Director Barry Levinson, well known for political movies like Wag The Dog, nails it on the head again with the concept that American politics is ruled by special interests, that the political candidates - professional politicians - are a huge part of the problem and that the American people are kept away from the machinations that control their fate. It's refreshing to see a movie rail so effectively against the flaws in the systems of our great nation. It's refreshing to hear characters arguing for a future in such a way that none of our elected officials actually do.
Man Of The Year ought to be required viewing for members of Congress.
This is not to say that Man Of The Year is a perfect film; it's not. But what it does succeed at is being clever. A portion of the movie is political satire. Lewis Black and Robin Williams deliver shtick that is often hilarious. This is an excellent use of their comic talents and they use the forum to make jokes that (at least Williams) they might not otherwise have a forum for.
Equally smart, perhaps more biting, is the latter half of the movie, which focuses more on Eleanor as she deals with the voting machine company. Intent on protecting their ill-gotten stock gains and government contracts, the company drugs, assaults and hunts Eleanor, even waging a media campaign to discredit her. What resonates about this is the fanatical devotion to profit that such companies operate with. Man Of The Year correctly exposes the motivation of such companies and it is not the integrity of the voting system. Sadly, and too few people know this, the only thing that it checked in order for a voting machine to be certified by the federal government is power supply integrity. The FEC certifies voting machines based on whether they turn on and stay on, not for the accuracy of how they collect data. It's enough to make one want paper ballots.
The film moves well as a political thriller, which is what it essentially becomes when the chase of Eleanor begins. Dobbs stops appearing on screen as a wisecracking host and takes on a mantle of credible disbelief while interacting with Eleanor after she reveals the truth to him. And overall, this ends up as a decent mix of political philosophy and entertainment.
In fact, one of the few things that does not work especially well in Man Of The Year is Robin Williams. Williams works very well as comedian Tom Dobbs, the problem is it's not much of an acting job. Williams is presenting standup and it feels like Robin Williams. It's entirely possible that this would have been a better film as a mockumentary of Robin Williams running for president, as opposed to creating a fictional character who so closely resembled Williams's stage performance as to distract those who were appreciators of his art.
Conversely, in the latter half of the movie, Williams illustrates he can act by playing Dobbs playing the president-elect. In the latter half of the movie, Williams plays a character struggling with a very real ethical dilemma and it is there that he convinces us of his abilities.
Man Of The Year has an exceptional supporting cast. Christopher Walken plays Jack and he does it with a detachment that is different from any other role I've seen him in. Jeff Goldblum makes occasional appearances as the company executive who understands how disastrous Eleanor's information could be to the company. Goldblum plays the role with a menace that perfectly portrays the self-preservation instinct of Big Capitalism. Lewis Black delivers very funny lines, though it doesn't seem like much of an acting stretch for him.
It is Laura Linney who is the surprise performance of Man Of The Year. As Eleanor, Linney - who was awesome in Love, Actually (reviewed here!) - must convince the audience she is credible and her attempts to convince others have to be questionable. Linney does this by creating an utterly believable aura of paranoia and articulation. She's the one to watch here.
Man Of The Year is a success for Barry Levinson and - as a reviewer, political columnist, and former candidate - it's a shame that this movie was not better received. It certainly is timely enough. What I wish it wasn't!
For other works by Barry Levinson, be sure to check out my reviews of:
Envy
Bandits
Homicide: The Movie
Homicide: Life On The Street
Rain Man
8/10
For other films, be sure to check out my Movie Review Index Page for an organized listing!
© 2012, 2007 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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