Politically incorrect to a broad spectrum of social cliques, “Dreamz” makes a statement and has some fun at the same time.
Paul Weitz does it without brother Chris in this darkly funny romp through a fantastic world of the satirical “American Dreamz” reality TV talent show.
A direct take-off from the fabulously successful “American Idol” series, “Dreamz” features the self-loathing, narcissistic and vaguely sadistic host Martin Tweed played to a tee by Hugh Grant.
Back after some time off as a result of, in his own words, “becoming bored---and bored with being bored,” Grant explores his dark side as the sold-out Tweed.
Grant himself can have a sharp wit when the mood strikes him and Weitz did not have to extensively direct his performance in raising the torture of hopeful contestants to a Roman level.
He seems to thoroughly enjoy his part and Weitz has said he likes to give actors the first shot at interpreting their roles.
The genius of Tweed is not so much creating a talent competition as it is ignoring the parts of human existence that most of us hold dear. Hence the American dream becomes reality by narrowing vision to Neilson ratings.
In his never ending search for the freakish and marginally talented, Tweed comes up with Sally Kendoo (Mandy Moore) from middle-class Ohio and Omer (Sam Golzari), a Middle Eastern emigrant with a secret. Omer’s secret is that he has graduated from terrorist school and been sent to live with wealthy relatives in Orange County who have a lifestyle vaguely similar to the Shah of Iran (mother/wife--Shohreh Aghdashloo, ‘House of Sand and Fog’).
He is there to await his final assignment, the big bang, but Omer turns out to be such an Inspector Clouseau of terrorists that his superiors have no intention of using him. That is, until they find out he has been chosen for a special American Dreams segment in which the President will be a guest judge. He is to explode himself, America’s leadership and Dreamz in one fell swoop.
Which brings us to Dennis Quaid playing President Staton and his corrupt and manipulative chief of staff, Vice President Sutter, played by Willem Dafoe.
One could probably make a good movie with only these two and simply forget the rest of the cast. Quaid is perfect as the president without a clue and Dafoe morphs his Spiderman Green Goblin into the evil behind-the-scenes manipulator of America.
As Weitz, Quaid and Dafoe defoliate the executive branch, Grant, Moore and Golzari take on reality TV with spectacular results. As the director says, he is most interested in uniform irritation. There is something politically incorrect in this film for the young as well as the old.
Weitz brings Chris Klein and Jennifer Coolidge back from the ‘American Pie’ franchise to join in as Sally’s feckless boyfriend William Williams and pushy stage mom Martha.
William is head over heels in love with Sally but she will have nothing to do with him. That is, until he returns wounded from Iraq where he was accidentally shot in a troop truck. He is immediately launched as a war hero a la’ Eddie Bracken in Preston Sturges great ‘Hail the Conquering Hero’ (1944) and Sally leads him on until that last, fateful day of the final episode where the winner is to be crowned.
Weitz confesses a love affair with the works of Sturges and others like him who were able to make social statements in the context of main-stream cinema. Although he sees excellence in acting falling by the wayside in the wake of special effects, he is apparently successful in bringing dialogue back to the American silver screen. If his characters are caricatures they are close enough to the American dream that we have to nod to their fit.
It is hard to do a satirical treatment of a popular phenomenon that is practically self-satirizing in its inexplicable and vacuous appeal. But “Dreamz” takes up where ‘To Die For’ left off.
If life is a dream than the fantastic becomes reality.
If this film walks a thin line in taking cheeky license with American icons, it is to good purpose. There is only so much we can do with dreams.
As Sam Golzari put it, he was concerned with playing the part of a suicidal terrorist. But after watching this movie for an hour and a half, there is something releasing and positive in spite of the darkness.
Wide release across USA & UK April 21, 2006. MPAA: Rated PG-13 for brief strong language and some sexual references
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