Pop Idol American style

The satire of reality TV and US politics, American Dreamz is a rare hit for me. It is surprisingly funny with a very talented cast. The film follows the new season of a popular TV talent show called American Dreamz. Hugh Grant plays a very much Simon Cowell-like host of the show Martin Tweed (‘call me Tweedy’). He wants this season to be more ‘freaky’, so the show’s contestants are: a small town karaoke queen, Sally, (Mandy Moore) who catches Martin’s eyes, a religious but very hip Jew, and a showtune-buff Iraqi, Omer, (Sam Golzari) who has been assigned to win through to the final and blow up guest judge US President and himself on the live show.

OK, the plot that terrorists try to wage jihad in a TV talent show where the US President( Dennis Quaid) appears as a guest judge sounds silly…but there is some emotional depth and you can feel sympathy with the main characters as they face their identity or moral crises. The stupid President is made to feel like a puppet as he is instructed in all the dialogue that he should say in public through earphones. Self-loathing Martin asks his assistants if he is ‘adorable’. Sally wonders if fame is what she really wants, while Omer becomes unsure if the jihad is the right things to do.

The cast, including the big names and the lesser knowns, is certainly talented in terms of comedy. Hugh Grant has mastered his womanizer persona, which he developed in Bridget Jones’s Diary. In this film he is again selfish, smug, the ultimate playboy. However, it is clear that he enjoys playing this character and he is irresistibly sexy! One may say that his face has started sagging, but who knew that he could be so expressive? Every little movement of his facial muscles hits your laugh spot. The scene where Martin gets astounded by Omer’s bizarre performance is his best. Dennis Quaid is quiet but wonderfully funny as a groggy President. Willem Dafoe’s bald head is simply amusing. Unfortunately Mandy Moore as Sally is neither funny nor likable as she is no more than a ‘rapacious little bitch’ as Martin says. On the other hand, Omer is a well played character as he is humorous when he is serious. There are also many hilarious performances from sidekicks like Sally’s simple-minded boyfriend and Omer’s sissy cousin.

The film actually goes beyond a satire of US media and politics. This is a satire on Americans in general. The only character to display a conscience is Omer who is Iraqi. Otherwise, all other Americans are depicted as shallow and empty. They don’t know who they are and what they are doing; they just dream about fantasies like fame, power and even true love. However, the great thing about American Dreamz is that, despite the bitter irony, you can just laugh away and enjoy.

3/5 A satire where you can just laugh and enjoy

American Dreamz is available to ernt and pre-order from Amazon.co.uk. The American Dreamz soundtrack is available to buy now.