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2.4 KiB
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Warren Beatty's BULWORTH is the craziest political satire I have ever seen. It is actually more of a statement than a satire, touching on several important economic issues, most importantly the African-American place in our country. Beatty goes way over-the-top as California Senator Jay Bulworth, a man who is destroyed by the monotony of modern politics. He also happens to be up for re-election, so he tours churches, South Central clubs, and the ganglands around L.A., most of which are unplanned and infuriating to his staff, led by talented actor Oliver Platt. The statement is the question of whether or not free speech really exists in this country. Bulworth speaks his mind and what he really feels, but the consequences can be both enlightening or fatal. This is what the film is driving at.<br /><br />Beatty's performance is well-meaning and energetic, and he displays a good comedic sense in many of the speeches, but it is, at times, a bit contrived. You can tell he is putting his all into making Bulworth a crazy, paranoid prophet of the people. Halle Berry is the calm point of the movie. There is more to her than meets the eye. Most importantly, she is the centerpiece of the African-American realization of how Bulworth could really be the 'real deal' in regards to how he can help them economically. BULWORTH has many scenes in the "hood", most extremely funny, but also brutally realistic. This, of course, is pure political fantasy.<br /><br />BULWORTH has a lot to say and does so in a lot of effective ways, but its outrageousness is sometimes its flaw. Sure, Bulworth says and does what we wish Clinton or Dole would do: speak their mind relentlessly on the biggest public stage there is. But is this possible? Not really, the movie tells us. There are some great individual sequences, the best being Beatty and co.'s entrance into a South Central club. They are so out of place and Beatty assumes he's not, so laughs begin to ensue. The Oscar-nominated script by Beatty himself is fast-paced and the film is extremely well edited. It does not dwell on one point for two long and there is some method to Bulworth's demented madness. Basically, the message is government business as usual, no wildcards allowed, and the possibility of a leader who mires in free (and I mean free) speech rendered virtually impossible. If their were any politicians like Bulworth, the voting process in the United States would be a hell of a lot more aggressive. |