Thaneevuth Jankrajang
This film is so delicious we can eat it, and eat it over and over again in all these years. It is not possible to catch any part of this film and not to continue watching some more or until the end. This is a storytelling of great entertaining value. More importantly, it does not play one wrong note as a political plotting, which is rare, considering how diluted it is as a hardcore political story. I believe Ivan Reitman's touch is essentially behind the successful combination. He casts, interprets the story and script, and directs quite appropriately. Kevin Kline's little reactions mean a lot to the plausibility of the story. His character is playful, delightful, and yet respectful to the presidency. A scene when he must be convinced to continue with "the act", which takes place in the Oval Office, is subtle and telling. It reveals in depth the characters of Kline's, of Frank Langella's, and of Kevin Dunn's with minimal dialogue. Sigourney Weaver's role as the First Lady is another great contribution to the story's dramatic effect. Both Kline and Weaver portray the real people behind the caricature and totally sell us as a convincing first couple and a political marriage. Even the actors of minor role are wonderfully complimentary. Charles Grodin, Ben Kingsley, Ving Rhames, Laura Linney, and Faith Prince show us that smaller roles can't limit any good actors. But the scriptwriter Gary Ross should be praised the highest. He exhibits the dramatic restraint throughout. Such restraint truly contributes to the believability of the entire story. Not too much, and quite enough. "Dave"'s script is one good piece of writing. Film students can learn a lot studying it. "Dave", all in all, is indeed the right movie at the right time, and a political parody done just right.
WinterbornTM
Dave is a 1993 comedy directed by Ivan Reitman (of Ghostbusters fame) and starring Kevin Kline who plays Dave Kovic, a man who has an uncanny resemblance to the president of the United States, Bill Mitchell, and is put in his place after he enters a coma.This is a feel-good movie about a simple man who takes a huge role as the leader of USA, and with his generous and kind spirit tries to change things a little for the better as much as he can. Kevin Kline is terrific in portraying both Dave Kovic and Bill Mitchell. The president is a cold man, who has lost all interest in his wife, portrayed by Sigourney Weaver, even cheating on her and also involving himself in some shady business. Enter Dave, a man working at a temp agency with a heart of gold.The cast in this movie is fantastic. As I mentioned, Sigourney Weaver plays his wife, who knows all about her husband's indiscretions and is sick of him. Frank Langella plays Bob Alexander, the chief of staff, and even though he does a great job acting in this movie, his character sometimes feels too much like a cartoonish villain. Ving Rhames plays the head of the security, who must keep an eye on the president at all times, and sometimes shows insecurity about trying to protect a clown, as he perceives Dave at first. Ben Kingsley also has a short role as vice-president Nance and he steals every scene.Of course some of the plot elements in the movie are a tad ridiculous and this could never work, but frankly, it doesn't need to. It's just a movie with a great premise, and for the most part it works. It has the right balance of comedy, drama and character development. A perfect movie for a rainy day, when you just wanna lay on the couch with a blanket on and a cup of cocoa. I give this movie a 8 out of 10!
Micke Karlsson
A sweet, funny movie (the kind Douglas Adams would call "mostly harmless"), with a somewhat outlandish plot, that I'm sure is probably not all that far removed from reality - given the circumstances. Definitely one of Kevin Klines best. Sigourney Weaver isn't given much of a chance, what with her role being the lesser of the couple in focus, but she does do well with her part. For obvious reasons 'Dave' gets somewhat political, but all in all it seem to never actually pick sides, not to any greater extent anyway. Instead it rather seem to suggest that bureaucracy in general is an obstacle, a hindrance to really getting something done. Charles Grodin, in a smaller part, does what Charles Grodin always does best - shows up every now and then and brings the Funny.
secondtake
Dave (1993)A hilarious wishful movie about what we really want our president to be. Kevin Kline is perfect in the role--both roles--a little goofy but totally believable. The rest of the cast doesn't much matter. They are decent if never amazing. It's a lightweight movie and to demand much beyond the gags and feel good qualities isn't fair to it.Does it hold up twenty years after it was made? Oddly, yes. You might not even notice it's a bit outdated on the fringes. Politics in some ways has not changed a bit. And the idea of body doubles for the U.S. President is still in currency (see "Vantage Point" for starters). Of course the notion of a secretive government that might pull of a huge scam isn't far-fetched at all (except of course that you hope it actually is far-fetched outside of Hollywood--see "Wag the Dog" for starters).There is also the use of lots of real people to bolster the idea that it's real, or could be real. Some are identified (senators and other celebrities from the era) so if you don't recognize them you should at least trust that these people are not actors. But there are a number (like 20 or 30) of other "real" people playing themselves, including Oliver Stone. In case you don't know him, Stone is being interviewed on Larry King Live (with the real Larry King) and he says that they've studied photos of the "new" president and that it's a conspiracy. This is really one of the many little hilarious lines because Stone, of course, is famous for hatching or nurturing conspiracy theories for his movies. His "JFK" came out just two years earlier.The other fun one most people will miss (and this dates me) is running into an unidentified Tip O'Neill on the streets. He was the real speaker of the house, and it's a great little three seconds. He dies the following year.Okay, the movie isn't brilliant. But it never gets stale, and it's well made enough to survive even a curmudgeon without popcorn. It'll make you laugh.
AD
