Man of the Year

By: The Dude

Director: Barry Levinson
Cast: Robin Williams, Christopher Walken, Laura Linney, Jeff Goldblum
Rating: 3 out of 5

They reckon you shouldn't discuss politics in public, but since it's just me and you loyal DVDetails readers here, I'll chuck caution to the wind by saying this – I'd vote for Robin Williams any day!

Anyone one of you who has seen this here Man of the Year will agree that he'd make one helluva PM – or president dependin' on where you reading this from. For those of you who ain't seen it and are thinkin' 'bout handin' over your hard earned for a copy, it's worth the coin.

This here is basically a flick regarding itself with how to go about electing Mork as PM.

According to one Barry Levinson (who directed this piece o' work), what you have to do is be in the audience at the taping of a Robin Williams talk show, casually suggest he run for office, then have a couple o' close advisors to Mork talk up the idea at a time when the country is going hi-tech with its voting system.

When the new computer voting system is about to go online, make sure there's a computer glitch that only the well-meaning but out of her depth computer geek will notice way too late. What will ensue is a dodgy election that will see Mork (and possibly Mindy) get up and become a piss-taking, funny-as-all-get-out PM whose only election promise is to make us laugh.

Sure, John Howard does that when he heads out for a morning stroll in that ridiculous tracksuit, and George W does with his speech guffaws, but Williams dishes out the one liners like your run-of-the-mill pollie hands out broken promises.

As a movie, Man o' wins votes for comedy, but it may face a pre-selection due to the way it generally drags throughout.

Sure, Levo tries to weave in a half-baked thriller sub-plot with the computer programmer (Laura Linney) being chased by her boss in an effort to keep her quiet, but it's hardly the stuff of Jason Bourne.

If it wasn't for that guy from Good Morning Vietnam doing that zany stand-up stuff that he does so well, this would suck. Art tells me it's no Wag the Dog, but who cares.

So, Man of the Year is not the Movie of the Year, but there's enough good stuff there to get a pass mark.

Verbatim:
Tom Dobbs: “When I was a young boy I used to look at pictures of naked ladies, hence my right hand is very strong. I touched myself more than a third base coach.”

In a word: Elected