Bob Roberts
|
Our Price: $9.98 Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Buy Used: from $3.88 (click here) Category: DVD See more DVD releases |
|---|
Canada
Movie Reviews of Bob Roberts
Movie Review: Its been a while since I've seen this but
Summary: 4 Stars
its well worth watching. Very smart and funny, and dead-on in its examination of politicians and the media. A little heavy-handed but still good.Movie Review: This movie is not to be taken seriously!!!
Summary: 5 Stars
People have written that this film bashes the right and gives praise to the left. If you look beneath the surface you will see that this movie is a humorous political satire that pokes fun at both rightwing conservative republicans and liberal democrats. Also, this film musn't be taken so seriously. Its political undertones are only part of its comic genius.Movie Review: Wickedly funny; incisive commentary; political hot potato
Summary: 4 Stars
.In this pseudo-documentary (think "This Is Spinal Tap"), Tim Robbins plays a Republican candidate for the U.S. senate. Bob Roberts doesn't suggest platforms or programs, so much as just express feelings. And, because he's a folk singer of conservative songs (such as "The Times Are Changin' Back"), he doesn't give speeches -- at any time -- so much as sing songs in political concerts. So his candidacy is largely sheltered from close scrutiny. Despite the time period being an era when incumbents almost always win, Roberts makes it close against his Democratic incumbent opponent, played by Gore Vidal. Vidal's character is hampered by allegations, and the whole thing is a funny, ironic roller coaster.
In his screenplay, Robbins introduces hard questions about political corruption, the military industry, and the demonizing of world leaders in order to support military funding. Today, this is reminiscent of President Bush's "axes of evil" declaration, and the politics may anger some (especially since Saddam Hussein is repeatedly shown as the Evil of the Day). But if you can set that aside, I think you can enjoy this political satire for all that it accomplishes.
A special treat is the myriad actors who float by the screen - - you'll have a lot of fun there, just as you might have enjoyed in "This Is Spinal Tap." In addition to all those who are in the credits (and the list is long!), I think I -also- saw Broadway actor Chip Zein (the Baker from the original "Into The Woods") with a brief line in a crowd scene towards the end. But there are perhaps a good dozen others you'll recognize from other movies (I was about to list them, but stopped in order to maintain some surprise for you).
My one reservation, and it's considerable, is that I think the sound needs to be re-mixed. A number of funny side conversations are lost, and you need to skip back and crank up the volume. This, of course, breaks up the continuity.
Extras include commentary by Robbins and Vidal.
Movie Review: I normally only write book reviews, but . . .
Summary: 5 Stars
Bob Roberts is the fictional documentary about an ultra-conservative folk-singer (I can't figure that one either!) who decides to run for Senate in 1990. Obviousley this movie is not supposed to show what politicians and campaigns are REALLY like (so calm down people!). It exagerates the qualities of politicians and voters to prove a point. ...this movie not only makes a mockery of the ultra-conservative agenda, but it also is a slap in the face of you all -- the voting public. Bob Roberts is clearly a sleazy, shallow, and deceptive character, but the public cannot seem to see past him on the surface level. Theycontinue sporting their red, white, and blue colors while mindlessly humming his comicly absurd folk tunes.
While it IS grossly exagerated, Bob Roberts does suggest some REAL trends in American politics, conservative and liberal. Robert's appearance on the Saturday night entertainment show (meant to represent SNL) is no doubt a reference to Clinton's appearance on Arseneo Hall during his 1992 campaign. It suggests that the American Political Scene is being dumbed down SO much that it needs to appeal to the segments of society where image is more important than the real world (we also saw this in the debate between Roberts and Paisley). Definately, Bush II's appearance on Oprah (and immediate jump in the polls) is a recent example of this "dumbing down."
I am very liberal, but I don't like this movie because is trashes the GOP. It trashes the trend in American politics, and the mindless ignorant American public that is complicit in that trend.
I recommend Bob Roberts both for its humor AND its message. I'm just dissapointed that Robbins refused to issue a soundtrack to this movie. I was looking forward to purchasing these tunes and listening to them anytime I needed a good laugh!
Movie Review: The times, they are a-chaangin' BACK. (No, seriously.)
Summary: 4 Stars
Suddenly, in the increasingly right-of-center autumn of 2001, this 1992 film seems timely all over again. In it, Tim Robbins plays a folk-singing uber-conservative Senatorial candidate (?!?!), running in Pennsylvania. The film follows his campaign's completely successful efforts to cajole, seduce, and flat-out dupe the media into slavishly following his every move. He gets ten times the coverage, as a "media phenomenon," as he might have as a simple candidate. His followers love him as though he were a rock star.Sadly, we may never know whether writer/director/star Tim Robbins consulted the Psychic Friends Network to get the idea for his film. No, wait -- he's still alive. I'll have to ask him about it. Be that as it may, the fact is that two years after the film, in 1994, the Republicans steamrolled their way into Congress fueled by rhetoric that, as often as not, could have been direct quotes from this film... Some of the political issues raised are dated now, such as the savings and loans scandals and the contras. Nevertheless, the basic spirit of an arch-conservative remains the same today, and comes through very clearly. I was bothered by the total vacuousness of Bob's supporters (actually, "disciples" might be a better word), who generally seem to come from less monied, less educated families than the supporters of Bob's opponent. Bob's supporters love him because he's a self-made rich man and he's not ashamed of it... it's true, it is all too easy to dismiss money as unimportant when you have plenty of it. I think, in a nutshell, Bob Roberts' supporters in the film are people who think of America as a "land of opportunity," not as a "society." After all -- many of our ancestors DID originally come here to get rich, which they could never do in most other lands. What his supporters miss is the absolute emptiness behind Bob Roberts' smile, and his arctic, ruthless willingness to do anything to get ahead and stay there. His supporters value hard work and success, which is fine, but they don't see that their idol values these things only insofar as they further his own insane dreams of glory.
Today, some of the humorous touches may seem a little obscure for younger audiences. For example -- when BR was made, in 1992, cell phones were much more unusual than today. The fact that Bob's staffers constantly monitor media and stock market information on cell phones is intended to satirize yuppy consultants of the time. Today, it would strike no one as odd that staffers do this. Also, a lot of the music videos for the conservative folk songs are spoofs of particular music videos from the late 80s and early 90s. Another comedic touch that younger audiences might miss, for different reasons, is the way Merilee Dale portrays Bob's wife Polly. A pinker, more precious, perfect, beaming Republican daddy's girl one could never imagine. Watching this film, I imagined frequent catfights breaking out on the set between Dale and Susan Sarandon, Tim Robbins' real-life partner and co-star in the film, who is an extremely vocal and opinionated "feminist's feminist."
This movie is a lot of fun, and it makes you think about things we should all worry about more. The only reason I'm not giving it five stars is that it felt a little thin for some reason -- maybe it could have used one more subplot. Still absolutely worth owning, however, and seeing again and again. Two thumbs up.