Head of State (2003)

"Head of State" – As Much Fun of Politics
by Homer Yen
(c) 2003

There's more than a few elements that doesn't seem quite right about the cynical comedy "Head of State," which centers around the dog and pony show atmosphere of politics. The vice-presidential candidate (Bernie Mac) is clearly uninformed about the most politically basic aspects. He comes across as a combative independent rather than a servant of the public. Also, because of the growing attention to a candidate's sex life, a 'superwhore' (Stephanie March) is assigned to be a willing mistress to quell rumors. And why-oh-why did they include the character of Kim (Robin Givens), who is a witch-like girlfriend of presidential candidate Mays Gilliam (Chris Rock)? All she does is shriek her affections to him, which annoys him as much as it did the audience.

In real life, there seems to always be a suspect feeling that arises as the political machine ratchets itself into high gear as major events like the presidential election draws near. And thus, to a large degree, there is a certain amount of undeniable wit and intelligence that emanates from this film. Among some of the notions forwarded by strategic planners is that in the near future, whites will become the minority. Thus, it would seem appropriate to pick a candidate who reflects our changing demographic times.

Mays Gilliam could be a good choice because he's a man of the people, and he can get votes from people that ordinarily don't go out to vote. At least, that's what they tell Mays. However, the real agenda is to put him on the ballot to lose. You see, this particular party has determined that it can't win the upcoming election. The established white politicians know that and it would be political suicide to try. But by putting a minority on the ballot, it'll provide a push for their party in the next election for their next white candidate.

With 8 weeks left in the race, the polls suggest that Dan Quayle would do better that Mays Gilliam. You can discredit the campaign managers (Lynn Whitfield and Dylan Baker) with his poor showing, as they continually furnish him with the kind of fluffy speeches that offer no urgency or meat. But once he decides to turn of the teleprompter and to turn on the comedic charm, his ratings start to rise.

The political world is ripe for criticism. He asks "what kind of drug policy makes crack less expensive than asthma medicine?" His running mate opines, "sure, we can save you from having a stroke. But when you see the medical bills, it will give you a heart attack!" And thus the remainder of the film continues this tact where their brutal honesty raises eyebrows as well as their popularity.

Smartly, the film presents its message in a broad way. It doesn't really matter if you're a frequent watcher of C*Span and know that an alderman is a member of a city legislative body or if your knowledge of politics is so limited that a butterfly ballot would confuse you. This film provides a good opportunity to showcase his PG-rated shtick.

With all the comedies in theatres now, it's appropriate to take a step back to weigh in on those that are probably most worth your time. And, my vote would go to, in order: 1) "Bend It Like Beckham" 2) "Shanghai Knights" 3) "A View from the Top" 4) "Head of State" 5) "Bringing Down the House."

Grade: C
S:        0 out of 3
L:        1 out of 3
V:        0 out of 3

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X-RAMR-ID: 34552
X-Language: en
X-RT-ReviewID: 1125033
X-RT-TitleID: 1121002
X-RT-AuthorID: 1370
X-RT-RatingText: C