BULWORTH (M).
Director:Warren Beatty
Stars:
Warren Beatty,
Halle Berry, Oliver Platt, Don
Cheadle, Joshua Malina, Jack
Warden, Paul Sorvino, Christine
Baranski, Richard Sarafian, Isaiah
Washington, Sean Astin, Laurie
Metcalf, Amiri Baraka, Wendell
Pierce, Michele Morgan, Ariyan
Johnson, Larry King, George
Hamilton (uncredited cameo)
Running Time:108 minutes.
Bulworth is a daring film from Warren Beatty, a film
maker whose politics have always been left of centre
and whose long career has been driven by his very
personal choice of projects. In this cynical and
scathing political satire Beatty tackles many of the
more obvious problems of the American democratic
process, and the social and economic divisions caused
by race and class. Beatty, who is credited as writer,
producer and director, takes aim at a number of
targets and hits a few raw nerves along the way.
Beatty could also be accused of biting the hand that
feeds him, as he attacks the major motion picture
studios, the corporations that buy political favours,
and the whole political process itself.
In the week before the Senate elections, Democrat
Jay Bulington Bulworth (Beatty) has become
disillusioned by the hypocrisy, the lies and the
machinations of American politics and wants out. He
takes out a $10 million life insurance policy and then
hires a hit man to assassinate him. Freed of any sense
of obligation, Bulworth then feels able to speak his
mind during the campaign. Rather than deliver the
same tired old speeches, he begins to tell the truth,
informing the voters of how little they actually mean
to the politicians. Suddenly, Bulworth becomes
popular and reinvents himself as that rarity - an
honest, straight talking politician.
In the wave of euphoria following his sensational
admissions, Bulworth has second thoughts about his
earlier decision, but finds himself unable to call off the
hit. Bulworth also finds romance with the fiery,
beautiful and intelligent Nina (Halle Berry, from
Executive Decision, etc), who hails from LA's black
ghettos and the opposite end of the political spectrum.
However, her ideas and opinions open his eyes to a
lot that is wrong with his country and the government.
Another unexpected source of inspiration is found in
L D (Don Cheadle, from Devil In A Blue Dress,
etc), a drug lord.
Bulworth follows on from those other sharp political
satires from last year, the timely Wag The Dog and
Primary Colors. However, Bulworth is nowhere near
as clever, biting or as credible as those two films, and
at times is something of an undisciplined mess. As
co-writers, Beatty and long time collaborator Jeremy
Pikser (Reds, etc) seem to have bitten off more than
they can chew in this ambitious script. There are a
couple of good ideas here, but they seem to get lost in
some unnecessary over plotting. The film ultimately
lacks a strong central focus. And those scenes where
Bulworth, an angry old man, proceeds to rail against
corruption and apathy through rap songs don't quite
convince.
For once, Beatty is playing closer to his age, a
haggard, weary and tired 60 something, and he seems
to be enjoying the experience. Oliver Platt gives a
wonderfully manic performance as Murphy,
Bulworth's increasingly frustrated aide who attempts
damage control as he tries to keep his charge on the
straight and narrow. A number of celebrity cameos,
from the ubiquitous Larry King through to George
Hamilton, add to the flavour of the film.
Despite its structural flaws though, Bulworth looks
great, thanks to Vittorio Storaro's superb
cinematography and Dean Tavoularis' production
design.