Kevin
Kline (Consenting Adults,
Silverado) plays a dual role, one as the
President of the United States, Bill Mitchell, and one as temp agency
coordinator and Presidential look-alike, Dave Kovic. Dave is sought
after and hired as a stand-in for Mitchell when the latter wants to get out of
public appearances, mostly in order for him to get it on with his female
aides. However, the temp gig turns into something more permanent when
Mitchell has a stroke that leaves him comatose, and Mitchell's closest
advisor, Bob Alexander (Langella, Masters of the
Universe), refuses to let the "boy scout" Vice President (Kingsley,
Sneakers) take over. In fact, Alexander
wants the job for himself, which he plans to get once all the ducks are in a
row. Meanwhile, Dave must continue to give the appearance of Mitchell in
command, but soon discovers that he might actually have a chance to affect
some real-life change in the country, starting with getting the First Lady,
Ellen (Weaver, Working Girl), to fall in
love with him for the first time, all over again.
Although director Ivan Reitman (Ghostbusters,
Kindergarten Cop) shows he can deliver a
good film that doesn't rely on Bill Murray's comic timing, Dave is
still carried on the buoyant performance of its main star, Kevin Kline.
With such a farfetched plot already in place, this is the sort of film that
could have easily degenerated into a muddled farce with a one-note stand-up
comic as the lead, but with a good comedic and dramatic actor like Kline at
the forefront, he is able to keep the tone of the comedy and drama appropriate
to each scene. Strong supporting actors help, including a strong,
mannered performance from Langella, who exudes ambition and corruption without
ever needing to show all his cards as the film's main villain. Political
junkies should also get a kick in seeing all of the real-life politicians and
political pundits make cameo appearances, and even director Oliver Stone has
some fun at his own expense in revealing another conspiracy theory, revealing to the world the truth about the look-alike plot, but to utter
disbelief by the media.
Screenwriter Gary Ross proved to be on a
roll in terms of bringing forth comedies with weight, after the smash hit,
Big, and a lesser, but still respectable effort in
Mr. Baseball. He would later opt to
directing his own screenplays, turning in his best efforts, Pleasantville
and Seabiscuit. His screenplay here is
a tough sell, but thanks to the talent at hand, as well as in keeping the
interesting developments continuously entertaining, the richness, depth and
keen insight in Ross's tale of one man trying to redeem the tarnished
reputation of government and use it a an agent for good is refreshing.
Underneath the obvious comedy, the message is one of the importance and
rewards of public leadership, showing that one person can make a difference if he has
the character, determination, and strong conviction to get the job done.
At the same time, the film does present a President who is able to lead
because he is not beholden to his aides, political action committees, or
corporations that got him elected -- a common man who knows what it's like to
be one of the people who needs someone at the top looking out for the little
guys, like himself.
Sadly for us, the events in Dave
play out more like a Capra-esque fantasy than anything we may ever experience, tapping into that feeling of
"Wouldn't it be nice if we actually had a leader who wasn't compromised and
corrupted in his climb to the top?" that is inherent in all of us, from all
political spectrums. Just as President Mitchell had once started out as
just a normal guy who was worthy of being loved, he shut everyone and
everything off, and in the end, he forgot what it was that was important to
him to be the President. What a shame that our current political system
would chew up and spit out an honest, incorruptible figure like Dave Kovic
before the Presidential primaries could even begin. Since we're to apt
to believe political lies from people who would rather sling mud than affect
positive change, shallow sound bites and sensationalized media reports, we end
up not getting the person at the top that we really want; we get the one we
deserve.
Qwipster's rating:
©2007 Vince Leo
