Prismark10
A film that feels remarkably aged and redundant after the 2008 US Presidential elections with the election of Barack Obama.Mays Gilliam (Chris Rock) is a conscientious and hard working Alderman in Washington DC. After saving a woman and her cat from a building that is about to explode. Mays is plucked from obscurity to be the replacement presidential candidate when the previous dies in a plane crash.Of course he has been selected so he can put up a plucky fight and lose, so their can be a serious candidate four years later. His rival is the hot favourite to win the election. He is the current vice president, a war hero and a cousin to Sharon Stone.The film is mildly amusing, silly but falls way off base as a political satire. The script feels half finished and half baked. At times you feel that you are watching a series of sketches than a movie.
Claudio Carvalho
One candidate for the presidency dies in an accident a couple of weeks before the election. Meanwhile the alderman Mays Gilliam (Chris Rock) becomes a hero when he rescues a woman and her cat from an old house that would blow up. However his fiancée Kim (Robin Givens) does not pay his bills and dumps him, and Gilliam loses everything including his fancy car. When Senator Bill Arnot (James Rebhorn) sees the news on television, he plots a scheme with the party advisors Martin Geller (Dylan Baker) and Debra Lassiter (Lynn Whitfield) to invite Mays to be the party nominee and lose the election for the other candidate, Vice- President Brian Lewis (Nick Searcy). Four years later, he would be the candidate and would have the chance of winning the election. Mays has a terrible beginning of campaign but when his older brother Mitch Gilliam (Bernie Mac) meets him in Chicago, he advises Mays to be himself. Will he have the chance to be the first African American President of the USA?"Head of State" is a silly film that every now and then makes laugh. The uneven plot has memorable scenes, like the party with the guests dancing or when Mays tells that God should protect the whole world; but there are stupid scene, most of them with Mitch Gilliam in interviews. But in general, this film is satisfactory and entertains. My vote is six.Title (Brazil): "Um Pobretão na Casa Branca" ("A Pauper in the White House")
GSHARON710
I was so sadden about one thing in this movie. The writer was creative in having an Afro-American running for the Presidency, and of course, you know he is going to win. Very good points were made through out the film. Imagine having whores just for the Government workers. The comedy is very typical of the Star. His girlfriend drops him like a hot potato (Did I spell potato correctly?"), until she finds out he is running for President of the United States. By that time he has become involved with another beautiful young lady, and yes, lady two will be the First Lady. This guy gets knocked to the ground with words of discouragement from a sister who was suppose to help him run, but not win. In the end she made a stand and did the right thing giving honest support. So what is there to be ashamed of? I sent this movie to a fire when the statement about Jon Benet was made. It was the lowest thing next to a snakes' belly, and I am not going to support this further. An apology needs to be made to the family and to everyone who purchased this movie. What a low down dirty shame.
caspian1978
Not only did Chris Rock star in this off beat comedy, but the popular comic helped write and directed the film. With some producing credits as well, Chris Rock had the responsibility of wearing 3-4 hats on this film. The end result, Head of State is worth watching at least once. Many critics consider this film a spawn from Eddie Murphy's The Distinguished Gentleman.Unlike Murphy's comedy, Head of State falls between reality and fiction. Murphy's movie was as funny if not more than Head of State, but, unlike Head of State, Murphy produced a realistic possibility. While Rock just wanted to make people laugh, he did not produce a great comedy that can be taken seriously. Still, worth a watch and nothing more.
AD
