|
Starring Warren Beatty, Halle Berry, Oliver Platt, Don Cheadle, Christine Baranski, Paul Sorvino,
Jack Warden, Laurie Metcalf. Written, Directed and Produced by Warren Beatty.
Senator Jay Billington Bulworth (Beatty) is running another successful campaign in the 1996 campaign to become senator of California. But he is profoundly depressed at what his life has become. A former 60's liberal, with pictures of him with Bobby Kennedy and Martin Luther King lining his office, he now uses campaign spots denouncing affirmative action, trashing welfare as too expensive, swearing allegiance to family values, and mumbling drivel about the new millenium instead of addressing any real issues. Meanwhile, his wife (Baranski) is involved with another man and Bulworth pursues female companionship on a regular basis. He's receiving thousands of dollars from wealthy corporations, such as the insurance corporations (led by Paul Sorvino), which are paying a lot of money in the hope that Bulworth will bottle up an insurance bill in the committee which he chairs. Bulworth has decided to take out a $10 million life insurance policy on himself, payable to his daughter, and then hires a hit man to shoot him. Suddenly, a weight has been lifted off his shoulders. With nothing to lose, he begins to attend his campaign stops saying whatever he feels like, and actually telling the truth. He goes into a South Central black church, and tells the crowd that they won't get consideration from politicians because the black community doesn't put any money into their campaigns. He attends a Hollywood elite dinner, and suggests that the sex and violence isn't the problem with their product, it's that their shows are basically not very good. He meets up with some young black women, and they take him to an all night club, where he dances the night away with Nina (Berry), a pretty young black activist who is intrigued with Bulworth's new found honesty. At a fundraising dinner, Bulworth breaks out in a rap denouncing the money that corporations hand over to candidates in the hope of present and future influence over government policy. His chief of staff Dennis Murphy (Platt) is at first bewildered by his boss's new strategy, but when Bulworth's ratings start to rise, he tries to think of ways to be even more honest. Eventually, Bulworth decides he likes his new life, and he tries to call off the hit. He hides out in central L.A. with Nina's family to avoid the hit man, learns a bit about the plight of people who live in her jobless neighbourhood, and acquires some funky new clothes to complete his new home boy image. But will Beatty avoid the hit, and will Nina go for a guy who is way, and I mean way, older than she? Beatty has been hitting the political talk shows pretting hard, such as Meet The Press and Tim Russert on MSNBC and began each by emphasizing the movie is a comedy - "if you want to send a message, phone Western Union". But as the interviews went on, it becomes obvious Beatty is trying to convey a message with this film. Such as, candidates have to chase obscene sums of money just to run, allowing various rich groups to corrupt the political system. And poor people, black and white are ignored because they don't have the financial clout to get their politicians' attention. The film is often extremely funny, including slapstick and often biting satire. And Beatty has various characters - Bulworth, Nina, Cheadle as a drug gang leader - deliver pointed speeches about leadership, lack of jobs in poor neighbourhoods and the futility of education in the inner city when there are few opportunities. Most of the time they work, and do not stand out of place with the rest of the movie. The cast is quite good, with Platt standing out as the ambitious aide who sees his career crumbling around him as his boss seems to self-destruct. Beatty is quite funny, delivering his rants and raps with enthusiasm and energy. Berry looks great as always, and convincingly portrays the streetwise activist who sees something in Bulworth. The movie is marred only by a noticeable sag in the second half when the movie begins to emphasize the love story over the political satire. Gang leader Cheadle's conversion to honest work in his neighbourhood in response to Bulworth's message is unrealistic. And seriously, young Nina and fossil Bulworth together is a bit unlikely. Although it did seem to work for Monika and Bill. But the movie ends in a fitting way, turning the feel-good ending upside down. If you believe political thinking begins and ends with the likes of Mike Harris, Newt Gingrich, Jesse Helms, and Maggie Thatcher, you won't like the message, so don't bother going. But if you can say liberal without choking, like smart satire, can believe in the optimism of the 60's and don't mind a little rap music, Bulworth is an entertaining film with a strongly delivered message.  
|