Review of Dave

Introduction

Hollywood has a lot to answer for. The representation of the President of the United States is a popular one in cinema and on TV. Some of the most respected actors take on the mantle of the most powerful man on Earth, and by and large their portrayals are usually seen as positive ones by audiences everywhere. There are strong roles from both sides of the political divide, Air Force One and Independence Day gave us presidents who took their gung ho attitudes to extremes, Morgan Freeman was supremely statesmanlike in Deep Impact and on the small screen, we have had the impressive David Palmer in 24, as well as the West Wing of course. When faced with real life leaders like "Read my lips" Bush, "I did not inhale" Clinton and Bush Junior, who is still waiting for a thought to occur, people can be forgiven for wanting to vote an actor into the role, hence Schwarzenegger`s gubernatorial aspirations. Yet it wasn`t so long ago that we had an actor in the White House. Ronald "I have no recollection" Reagan proved that real life and the movies don`t mix, despite winning the cold war.

Still our fascination with all things presidential continues. Many must wonder what it would be like to be the leader of the free world, even if only for a short time. In this film, the eponymous Dave gets that chance. Dave Kovic runs a temp agency and moonlights in his free time as a presidential look-alike thanks to his uncanny resemblance to the chief of state. Of course this is ideal for the White House, who often use look-alikes for security purposes. When the Secret Service visit Dave for this purpose he is of course glad to help, and stands in for the president. Things go terribly wrong though, when President Bill Mitchell suffers a massive stroke while involved in ahem, affairs of state. This is potentially disastrous for White House Chief of Staff Bob Alexander, who is the power behind Bill Mitchell`s throne. The Vice-President is an idealist and a man of the people, in other words a lunatic and Bob Alexander will not allow his hard work to go to waste. But Dave offers an amazing opportunity. With Dave installed temporarily in the White House and a financial scandal designed to remove Vice-President Nance, Bob Alexander is a dead-cert for the big chair. But he hasn`t planned for one thing, Dave is good at the job, so good that he manages to charm the First Lady who up till now has held her husband in contempt.

Video

Dave is presented on a double-sided single layered disc, with Side A hosting the film in 1.33:1 and Side B with the anamorphic 1.85:1 widescreen version. It`s not worth getting excited about though, as Dave has one of the worst pictures I have seen for a mainstream movie DVD. The image is very soft, extremely grainy and with low resolution throughout. I could have sworn I was watching a VHS. It`s as if I was watching the film through a thin sheet of muslin. The film itself doesn`t fare much better with flecks of dirt throughout.

Audio

Sound on the other hand comes in Italian, French and English DD 2.0 Surround. This is perfectly adequate as the dialogue is audible throughout and James Newton Howard`s music is charming. This is a dialogue heavy film, light on the action so understandably the soundtrack isn`t all that dynamic.

Features

Production notes and subtitles in excess and snapper case, grrr. It`s a shame there`s nothing more, as I would have liked to see some background into how they recreated the Presidential aspects of the film, from the White House to the accuracy of the political processes described herein.

Conclusion

Dave is one of those touching, heart-warming comedies from Ivan Reitman, as opposed to the more irreverent fare like Ghostbusters and Evolution. It`s the Man In The Iron Mask tale updated for the Oval Office, the tried and trusted double identity tale that has been done many times before, but here it`s given a fresh twist for the nineties, and like many classic stories it works out a treat. A lot of Dave`s charm comes from the tie in with reality. Cameos from political figures and commentators abound, giving it that touch of verisimilitude that make this film a cut above the rest, although some cameos work better than others. I must admit that there is a brilliant moment from Oliver Stone.

Kevin Kline is fine as Dave/Bill Mitchell, though we don`t see enough of the latter to see two distinct characters. Dave Kovic is a typical everyman, with his heart in the right place, but there is little to mark out the character as especially distinctive. The same goes for Sigourney Weaver as Ellen Mitchell, the First Lady. The two leads are good, not great. However Dave is really a film about the supporting cast. Ving Rhames is taciturn and forbidding as the Secret Service Agent Duane Stevenson, but reveals a playful side as the film progresses. Charles Grodin is typically brilliant as Dave`s neurotic friend Murray Blum, and the film sees too little of him, but the film is owned completely by a brilliant performance from Frank Langella as the machiavellian White House Chief of Staff Bob Alexander. His schemes and machinations and a barely restrained teeth-grinding fury make him the most interesting character in the film.

Dave is a brilliant feel good movie, a sort of It`s A Wonderful Presidency so to speak. It avoids any of the gross out moments and crudity that most comedies resort to, and instead relies on a gentle wit and earnest naiveté to make its points. But ultimately it is this naiveté that holds the film back. Dave just makes a superficial statement when it comes to the US political system and shies away from any kind of biting satire. Despite the depiction of Bill Mitchell as a philanderer and a corrupt politician, Dave doesn`t attempt to address how such power hungry individuals aspire to the loft heights of political ambition. Instead Dave settles for the good ol` American dream, that any fresh-faced boy, raised in a log cabin can one day be the President of the United States.

Well, the disc is abysmal, with a horrendous picture and no extras to speak of. But the film is enjoyable in a feel good way. But if you want biting political satire, I`d suggest a little BBC programme called Yes Minister.