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Review in short: American Dreamz
Sat, 29 Apr 2006

Cutting straight to the goods, this film is a scorcher .. entertaining though not balls-out, disturbing yet tasteful, and great fun as they literally roast (I need extra-extra-italics!) American Idol and U.S. foreign policy. The premise is simple -- the just re-elected US president wakes up one morning and decides to read the paper (something he hasn't done in years) and is surprised to find it full of criticism and alternative viewpoints to what he's been spoonfed, which all throws him for a personal crisis. To help restore the public's faith in Presidential image the Chief of Staff signs him up as a judge for the wildly popular 'American Dreamz' (obviously a spoof on American Idol.) Now, this is not Scary Movie so there are few true 'gag' moments -- the characters are parodies of real life folks and the fun is in the plot that disembowels the hollow celebrity lifestyle and deconstructs the American Dream. Really, I found the film fairly tasteful -- no name-calling swipes at the George Bush or white-trashing the American People per se. Instead you're in a state of amazement at the sheer vacuousness of the characters and giggling all the way through at the dialog and awful thoughts the characters put forth. Sure, they have to attack the President and whatnot, but its not descending to insults.. just suggesting that everyone involved are good folks just in an organization gone wild.

The actors are very well chosen -- Hugh Grant absolutely nails the role as star of the virtual television show - arrogant yet empty and charming - almost a parody of himself. Mandy Moore successfully pulls off the perfect Kelly Clarksonesque empty and evil girl next door with the perfect apple-pie eating boyfriend played by Chris Klein. Heck, I'll even give some credit to Mandy Moore who I'd always assumed was just one of the current Hollywood Starlets like Lindsay Lohan. At first I was a little disturbed as the film veered into a terrorist training camp producing a promotional video, but as it all ties together just so wickedly one cannot help but love the many relatively unheard-of actors.

At the end of the day, the show isn't obvious 'zany' or physical comedy but is more akin to the brilliance you might associate to a political Spinal Tap - wicked and mature and giggly all at once. If you want Scary Movie, this isn't it... but an excellent matinee for sure.

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