The Wag The Dog Store

Wag the Dog, talk about a movie for our time.  
by Joe De Matteo

Solid

This story is so compelling precisely because it’s like watching a documentary, no, no, The Truman Show: a secretly filmed live documentary.

Journalists have a saying, “a fly on the wall,” they leave an hot interview or they know a crises meeting is going on, and they wish they were a fly on the wall in that room.  Well, Wag the Dog is like that for anyone who was awake during the 1990s. (I include the 1900 because I know this critique will endure.) 

A 30-year old, in fifteen years will still think it’s a good movie, but they won’t get it.  Can you imagine Ozzie and Harriett after seeing this picture?  How about Mr. & Mrs. Cleavage coming home to Beaver and Wally after seeing this it in 1958? 

“Hi Mom, hi Dad, what kind of movie did you see?”  The Wally asks.

“It was some weird Science Fiction movie, Wally,” Ward would say. 

Mrs. Clever would ask, “Did you boys have your snack and brush your teeth?” When they get a bad report from the baby sitter about Beaver’s behavior, Ward would get on his case to the extreme. 

Then the next morning, getting out of bed, Ward would notice his wife was a little upset with him, and he’d ask, “What’s the matter, honey?”

“Well Ward,” she’d say, “you were a little rough on the beaver last night.”

Sorry, I just can’t think about Leave it to Beaver, without thinking of that joke.

Anyway, my point is, this movie would have made no sense to someone in the 50s, even with all the turmoil of the 60s, it would have seemed too cynical.  But to anyone who was paying attention to politics during the 90s.

It’s a good movie.  It’s worth seeing.  If you haven’t seen it in a year, go rent it and watch it again.

And you know? I still can’t believe Duston Hoffman ends up in bed with Sofia Loren.  Go figure!

Ti-ming*: Wag the Dog
by Christian De Matteo

Super

            Truth is stranger than fiction, goes the old adage, and that certainly applied when this fantastic movie about presidential cover-ups and scandals was almost overshadowed by the exact same thing playing on your local news channel.

            Almost.

            Wag the Dog, directed by the great Barry Levinson (Tin Men, Sleepers), came out to rave reviews— despite the carbon-copy Clinton Sexgate scandal— and with good cause.  Here we have a real rarity:  a movie with a tremendous cast that doesn’t rely solely on its actors for success.  As the reel spins, you realize that it’s merely a bonus that Robert De Niro (A Bronx Tale, Sleepers), Dustin Hoffman (Outbreak, Death of a Salesman) and Anne Hesch (Volcano, Ellen De Generes) grace this clever plot.  The movie is intricate— without ever losing the audience, funny— without ever being stupid, and genius— without ever being stuck up.

            Here’s the basic plot:  The President of the U.S.A, gets accused on an illicit affair with a young female (no, this is not a Clinton era news report you are reading) at a very inopportune moment: Elections time.  So, how to pervert… excuse me, divert attention?  Enter Robert De Niro (the man with no official title or job description) to work out some serious spin.  His brilliant solution:  fabricate a war with Albania.  Enter Dustin Hoffman, big time Hollywood producer.  Hoffman’s job is to produce the fake war, everything from phony footage to patriotic rallying songs (provided hysterically by Willie Nelson in full hick regalia).  And so the war is on… camera.

            But no more shall I say, for fear of giving away a great movie.  Along with Anne Hesch, who also does a terrific job, Woody Harrellson who has the quote of the movie, and a number of fun cameos, the film moves along quickly and ingeniously, a perfect satire throughout.

            In fact, this is political satire at its funniest, cleverest, and damn near most accurate.  And maybe the best thing about this movie is that it just gets better with time.  Ten years back, this would have been considered pure fantasy, alongside The Mouse that Roared, but now I can imagine the young’ens catching it on TV and not laughing, thinking it not a comedy but a period piece.

            And would they be that wrong?

 * The article title is from an always-applicable Steve Martin joke, off his classic album Comedy isn’t Pretty.

Trivia

Does the gate stewardess in the airport look familiar?  Well her last name will.  She is Drena DeNiro, movie legend and co-star Robert DeNiro's Daughter.

The fictitious book American Hero was written about President George Bush's political operatives making up the Gulf War to support his presidency.  For the 1998 film, they decided to look towards Eastern Europe and President Bill Clinton's involvement there.  The whole sexual affair that takes place in the movie is designed to take a stab at Clinton's alleged affair with Jennifer Flowers and Paula Jones.  Little did the filmmakers know that the Monica Lewinsky affair was right around the corner and would help make their film famous.  The filmmakers remark on how incredibly similar aspects of their film are to what really happened in an interview that you can see on the DVD version of this film.  Interested?  Look for it in our store.