What I Rented - American Dreamz

American Dreamz is sledgehammer satire. Nothing is subtle and its political and societal jabs hit you hard and repeatedly. It mixes American Idol, George W. Bush, the war in Iraq, and terrorism into one potent cocktail. Everything is played broadly, everyone is a buffoon, and yet, when it works it works really well. There are some big laughs here.

When President Staton (Dennis Quaid) decides to read a newspaper after his reelection he finally starts to understand the horrible complexities of world politics and becomes a shut-in. In order to appeal to the alarmed public, his Chief of Staff (Willem Dafoe) arranges for him to appear on America’s number one television show American Dreamz as a guest judge. Host Martin Tweed (Hugh Grant) wants to spice up the show and finds two worthy contestants – Sally Kendoo (Mandy Moore), who is sweet only on the surface, and Omer Obeidi (Sam Golzari), a sleeper cell terrorist who has difficulty hating the country that produced so many catchy showtunes.

What makes American Dreamz click is a game cast that finds the right balance between reality and caricature. While the big names are very funny, I was pleasantly surprised by Sam Golzari and Mandy Moore.

Golzari takes the toughest role, the terrorist with a heart of gold who gets wrapped up in the American dream machine, and gives him that real sense of “ahhh shucks” wide eyed wonder. As for Mandy Moore, I can’t for the life of me understand why she isn’t a bigger star right now. She’s beautiful, funny, smart, and utterly charming playing a sadistic egomaniac who hides behind her “wholesome” values.

American Dreamz doesn’t have a smart enough script to make it a memorable political satire, but it’s a fun movie that takes some refreshing pot shots at politics and television, and shows how they aren’t all that different.

Star Rating **1/2 out of 4