Look past these minor faults, don't expect deep characters, and be pleasantly surprised at how much fun you get for nine bucks. A poignant fictional romance set against a grandiose, historically accurate background. Four hours will fly by quickly and leave you ready to see it again and again. Perfectly directed, this film is flawless. Wag the Dog Robert DeNiro, Dusting Hoffman and Willie Nelson tease out a thought provoking satire on Hollywood, politics and the news media.
Recent events make the presidential philandering premise more than plausible.
On the plus side, the film accurately parodies many memorable moments from the Reagan, Bush, and Clinton years. Most scenes use understated humor and employ an interesting, easy-going style. Even worse, the good natured humor of the film is demolished by the exceptionally harsh treatment of the most sympathetic character and by an unnecessary jaunt into brutality with a supporting character played by Woody Harrelson. It's unforntunate, because a little creative writing could have easily repaired these flaws and left a wonderful movie destined to have become a classic in the political satire genre. Your evening would be better spent renting The Candidate starring Robert Redford.