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RANDY BANDIT’S TAKE: PASSING
I am always blown away by the similarities between movies and real life. I remember the eerie parallels between Wag the Dog and the latter half of Clinton’s second term after Monica Lewinsky. This movie, while not as spot on, reminds me a hell of a lot of Obama’s rise to power.
I am always blown away by the similarities between movies and real life. I remember the eerie parallels between Wag the Dog and the latter half of Clinton’s second term after Monica Lewinsky. This movie, while not as spot on, reminds me a hell of a lot of Obama’s rise to power.
First, you had the unlikely, and very thin, black candidate, who found comfort in speaking to large crowds. He placed a premium on being truthful to the people and developed a three word catch phrase that resonated with the crowds: “That Ain’t Right!” (Not quite “Yes, We Can!”)
Then, there were the attempts by his adversaries to try to tie him to seemingly unsavory characters (read: Patrice O’Neil’s role as a drug dealer). It was also implied that Mays had a strong understanding of the history of the government and a respect for the Democratic party itself. In fact, the biggest departure from the movie and real life is that it was Mays, and not Obama, who picked the unlikely, unqualified running mate, although he had his reasons (and the movie was all the better for it).
Ultimately, this movie was a lot of fun, and even though I knew Mays would win, I still got excited when the announcement was made. It didn’t come close to the excitement of Obama winning, but at least the story played out the way that it was supposed to. Although it might be dated now, Head of State is still fun to watch, if only to see how much things have changed since it was released.
PHILL BOOGIE’S TAKE: PASSING
Chris Rock is a genius. His stand-up work is some of the smartest and funniest ever performed. Admittedly, the stand-up brilliance doesn’t always translate in film, but I think “Head of State” comes pretty close.
The idea of hip-hop being used in party with a presidential election was comical in the film, but on some level, there seems to be a statement that this is the voice of a huge portion of America. Fast forward to Obama’s campaign, hip-hop was a major factor in his campaign, and it wasn’t a joke at all.
The best thing about “Head of State” may be its timing. The idea of a black president was enough to hang a comical movie premise on a few years back. Now, that premise can no longer be a punchline.
Oh…this is totally random: I love Robin Givens. She was great in this movie.
PHILL BOOGIE’S TAKE: PASSING
Chris Rock is a genius. His stand-up work is some of the smartest and funniest ever performed. Admittedly, the stand-up brilliance doesn’t always translate in film, but I think “Head of State” comes pretty close.
The idea of hip-hop being used in party with a presidential election was comical in the film, but on some level, there seems to be a statement that this is the voice of a huge portion of America. Fast forward to Obama’s campaign, hip-hop was a major factor in his campaign, and it wasn’t a joke at all.
The best thing about “Head of State” may be its timing. The idea of a black president was enough to hang a comical movie premise on a few years back. Now, that premise can no longer be a punchline.
Oh…this is totally random: I love Robin Givens. She was great in this movie.
