Man of the Year: Shift your expectations

Reviewer: James van Maanen
Rating (out of 5): ***½

A word of praise is in order for the much-maligned Man of the Year, the Barry Levinson/Robin Williams collaboration that critics (certainly) and audiences (perhaps) were expecting to be something along the lines of Wag the Dog in its satire and bashing of our current administration. Well, it ain't. What it is, however--a comedy about politics and the media, along with some thrills and romance--is still very much worth a watch. To begin with, the Prez pictured here is a Democrat, so we know right off we're in fiction-land. The TV host/commentator, a nicely restrained Williams, may be modeled on Jon Stewart (he's mentioned in the film) but remains an original: Imagine Robin having his own comic-takes-on-the-news show, and you'll probably come close to what appears here. The election in question, with all ballots being handled electronically, hits close enough to home to give us pause, and with the always wonderful Laura Linney playing a top-level software specialist in the Diebold-like firm responsible for the voting machines, we're off and running.

The movie is put together surprisingly well, with the thrills sneaking up on you, just as the romance does on the two principals. There are many good laughs along the way, and a raft of fine performances from supporting players. Williams is nicely low-key but still very funny, and Linney is spectacular. (Has she ever given anything less than a terrific performance? From silly fluff like Congo and Love Actually, to Mystic River, P.S., Kinsey and The Squid and the Whale, she's always on target.) Here, she has a breakfast-in-the-commissary scene that, had the film been anything approaching a hit, might have netted her a supporting actress nomination. For this alone, Man of the Year deserves a look, but it also offers plenty that's worth hearing communicated with humor, feeling and intelligence (for one thing, why media stars and politicians should stick to their own field, do the job they're paid to do, and do it right). The movie's insistence that America could and should do better is bracing without being nasty or holier-than-thou. These days we could use more of this attitude--in states both red and blue.