Man of the Year (2006)

Satire about Jon Stewart like televison comedian Tom Dobbs (Robin Williams) who is apparently elected President of the United States. In keeping with Director Barry Levinson’s mixed bag of a career, the movie is uneven. There is a critically much remarked upon tonal shift as the film transitions from mere Williams comedy vehicle, into something with broader aspirations and conspiratorial elements. Now I didn’t think this shift as glaring as that in say Hancock, but its there and brings some awkwardness to the transition, with the Laura Linney breakdown scene veering close to the uncomfortable and seeming as though from another film. I must also point out how the whole ‘Tom Dobbs addressed Congress as George Washington’ scene evokes the wisely cut ‘Henry Fonda Addresses the Convention as Abraham Lincoln’ sequence that got Frank Capra booted off the production of Gore Vidal’s The Best Man. Despite its flaws I found I couldn’t help but like this film, its ironically Capraesque sentiments are well taken and better adapted to the times then many such attempts. I found I particularly liked the idea of Dobb’s little group of friends and associates, they seemed good humored and good natured individuals of honest intent, the kind we oh so wish really constituted the average presidents clique. I only wish more of Williams jokes worked. Three out of Five.