Wag the Dog

directed by Barry Levinson
List(s):"Movie Two"
Category: "Comedy"
Year of Release:1997
Date Added:02/07/2015
Date Watched:09/23/2015
Description:The President has been accused of molesting a young girl two weeks before the election. His spin doctor Conrad Brean (Robert De Niro) seeks to divert the public's attention by creating a war against terrorists in Albania. He works with movie producer Stanley Motss (Dustin Hoffman) to create the photos and news stories to support the claim. An opposing candidate, tipped off by the CIA that there is no war, goes on the air to say that he's just heard peace has been declared. Brean and Motss respond by picking an American soldier, Sergeant Schumann (Woody Harrelson) and claiming he's being held hostage by terrorists. The opponent demands proof. They decide to claim Schumann has been rescued and prepare a hero's welcome, but they find that Schumann has been in prison for 12 years on a rape charge. They're trying to figure out how to deal with this when their plane is forced to land in a storm. They make their way to a gas station where Schumann accosts the owner's daughter and is shot. Brean and Motss make up a new story and prepare a hero's funeral. All of this works and the President is reelected. Motss declares that this is his greatest work and he wants credit, so Brean has him killed.
My Rating:6

Reviews for Wag the Dog

Review - Wag the Dog

Great political satire which is very sad because it's so likely close to the truth. The best part is when De Niro's character says he was in the studio when the "bomb dropping down the chimney in Iraq" was staged. Hoffman's character asks if that's true. De Niro says something like, "That's my point. You don't know."

Reviewed by Roger on 2015-09-23 19:30:53

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