2008 Woodie Awards
Robin Williams' performance can't save 'Man of the Year' without punch line
Tim Takechi, Staff Writer
Issue date: 10/17/06
Last Updated: 12/26/07
Barry Levinson's "Man of the Year" is a frustrating film. The satirical premise, about a comedian who runs for president and wins, has promise. The energetic and witty Robin Williams, as the title role, is a casting stroke of genius. The final product, however, leaves the audience deflated and wanting more.
Levinson, as the film's writer and director, teams up once again with his "Good Morning, Vietnam" and "Toys" star Robin Williams to explore America's resentment of the current two-party political system. Williams plays Tom Dobbs, the host of a fake news show not unlike The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. An audience member suggests to Dobbs that he run for president. Dobbs, a well-known teaser of Democrats and Republicans, takes her up on that offer.
Dobbs is followed by manager Jack Menken (the always reliable Christopher Walken) and comedy writer Eddie Langston (a surprisingly mellow Lewis Black) on the campaign trail to start a nation-wide grass-roots movement to get him on the ballot. When delivering speeches to audiences across the country, Dobbs chooses to act like a stiff presidential nominee instead of the TV personality that America has come to love. As a result, Dobbs is allowed to debate on television with the Republican candidate and the Democratic incumbent.
In front of a watching nation, Tom Dobbs becomes the goofy Robin Williams and makes a complete mockery out of the usually deadpan debate. Come election day, Dobbs wins a close three-way race using a new computerized balloting system.
The new voting system is designed by a software company called Delacroy. Veteran actress Laura Linney plays Eleanor Green, an employee at Delacroy who discovers a glitch in the system that could invalidate the entire election. Jeff Goldblum plays Alan Stewart, a menacing Delacroy big-wig who attempts to silence her discovery.
"Man of the Year" is a film that has a great premise that goes off into an unnecessary subplot about the election scandal. The film takes a wrong turn as it crams into its two-hour time frame a side story about corporate greed. The Delacroy/Enron comparison is painfully obvious.
Levinson, as the film's writer and director, teams up once again with his "Good Morning, Vietnam" and "Toys" star Robin Williams to explore America's resentment of the current two-party political system. Williams plays Tom Dobbs, the host of a fake news show not unlike The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. An audience member suggests to Dobbs that he run for president. Dobbs, a well-known teaser of Democrats and Republicans, takes her up on that offer.
Dobbs is followed by manager Jack Menken (the always reliable Christopher Walken) and comedy writer Eddie Langston (a surprisingly mellow Lewis Black) on the campaign trail to start a nation-wide grass-roots movement to get him on the ballot. When delivering speeches to audiences across the country, Dobbs chooses to act like a stiff presidential nominee instead of the TV personality that America has come to love. As a result, Dobbs is allowed to debate on television with the Republican candidate and the Democratic incumbent.
In front of a watching nation, Tom Dobbs becomes the goofy Robin Williams and makes a complete mockery out of the usually deadpan debate. Come election day, Dobbs wins a close three-way race using a new computerized balloting system.
The new voting system is designed by a software company called Delacroy. Veteran actress Laura Linney plays Eleanor Green, an employee at Delacroy who discovers a glitch in the system that could invalidate the entire election. Jeff Goldblum plays Alan Stewart, a menacing Delacroy big-wig who attempts to silence her discovery.
"Man of the Year" is a film that has a great premise that goes off into an unnecessary subplot about the election scandal. The film takes a wrong turn as it crams into its two-hour time frame a side story about corporate greed. The Delacroy/Enron comparison is painfully obvious.
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