Watching this movie really makes you wonder what’s real and what’s fraudulent... even now in 2020. More people need to see this one!
As soon as war breaks out, I think of this film. It should be mandatory viewing to wake up the sheeple.
To think this came out pre-Lewinsky... And the phrases used were almost verbatim to how 9/11 was a war with Afghanistan (they actually referenced mountain caves!) and then magically a war with the (nothing to do with the fact he started selling oil in euros not dollars) Hussein Saudi regime.
It's either astonishing or deeply saddening that this film is so believable.
And here we go in 2022 where the optics of a humanitarian crisis are inseparable from the propoganda that we are fed with it... Who knows what to believe?
(and as a Brit, I see an entire career for Armando Iannucci from this one film. The Thicknof It, In The Loop, Death of Stalin, Veep... They owe a debt for sure.)
8/10
The only thing I knew going into this film was that it starred Dustin Hoffman and Robert De Niro and that it had some Oscar noms. As it so happens, I recently watched Don't Look Up (2021), which proved an appropriate modern companion piece, having a very similar vibe with its over-the-top satire of behind the scenes politics. However, where that film didn't quite win me over, this one did. For one thing, I'm just a sucker for showbiz, so the premise here was more compelling. The comedy also came more naturally, inspiring more consistent chuckles than the somewhat overbearing dark comedy of Don't Look Up. On top of that, I think the performances and moment to moment dialogue were stronger and helped the humor along, with Hoffman being the standout. The overall arc was excellent, with a good balance of things going right and things going wrong that made things satisfyingly unpredictable. My only real critiques relate to some of the choices for Woody Harrelson's character and elements of the finale. The twist of who he actually was didn't land for me (and also felt like a waste of Woody Harrelson's talents). And the plane crash was too over-the-top, with that whole sequence feeling rushed. Luckily, the movie sticks the landing, with Hoffman's final scene selling an excellent payoff.
The best part is that Hoffman gets whacked at the end.
Brilliant and well-crafted, Wag the Dog is an inspired and entertaining satire. When the President faces a scandal that could cost him the election he calls in a spin-doctor that decides to concoct a phony war in order to squash the scandal. The cast is excellent, and includes Robert De Niro, Dustin Hoffman, Anne Heche, and Denis Leary. The script is also especially good, and is full of witty political satire. Still, there are some cheesy parts and the plot gets a little contrived at times. Wag the Dog has its flaws, but overall it’s and an enjoyable and fun look at the audaciousness of politics.
Shout by Frank WestBlockedParent2011-10-22T19:46:33Z
80%? Come on, this is a classic! More relevant now than ever before!