Here I am making a comeback of sorts to Mantrablogs. There is no reason per se but a sudden urge to write a movie review which I have not been doing for a very long time though I have been watching quite a few (which again can be subjective).
Like any other given Saturday evening when I like to get a bit high, plug in my speakers to the laptop and unfold the rusty movie folder, I sat again last evening to watch a funny yet interesting ‘Man of the Year.’ Starring Robin Williams (who I best remember for The Goodwill Hunting), ‘Man of the Year’ is a story of a comedian who runs for the US presidential elections at the behest of his audience. So, from a leading standup comedian he races for the White House with his wit as his USP. While he mocks his contenders for their over the top budget (somewhere around USD 200 million dollars) for campaigns, he claims to have not spent even a single penny on his own campaign. The result of the election: Robin Williams wins; only temporarily.
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William’s closes aide in the movie, Christopher Walken (who I best remember for his cameo in ‘Pulp Fiction’) is also the narrator and plays the role quite convincingly. Now the flip side of the movie plot is that while Robin Williams is declared the President-Elect, the ballot machine malfunctions and Williams is announced winner instead of the deserving Kellogg (nothing to do with the cornflakes maker). The company that has manufactured the ballot machine quite manipulatively doesn’t reveal the fact, even when their truthful employee, the ageless Laura Linney, comes out of the closet and announces the same to Robin Williams, who by that time deeply is smitten by the computer engineer, decides to go public with the fiasco. No, it is not just out of love that he decides to give up his seat; I guess it has something to with integrity, and the film in a profound manner suggests that people with integrity are not right for the coveted seat (what a contrast after having watch Nixon/Frost a few days back).
Anyhow, let me not get into the predictable ending. Robin Williams get back to his jocular job and marries Laura Linney.
Now the big question is why you should watch the movie. It is like a big Bollywood masala movie, but fast-paced and one-liners are quite amusing. With the corporate manipulations also thrown in, and a serious issue being addressed thru a jester, ‘Man of the Year’ becomes more than just a comedy film, and that saves it from being a Jim Carrey-like no-brainer.