American Dreamz – Alles nur Show (2006)

American Dreamz – Alles nur Show: Directed by Paul Weitz. With Hugh Grant, Dennis Quaid, Mandy Moore, Willem Dafoe. The new season of “American Dreamz,” the wildly popular television singing contest, has captured the country’s attention, as the competition looks to be between a young Midwestern gal (Moore) and a showtunes-loving young man from Orange County (Golzari). Recently awakened President Staton (Quaid) even wants in on the craze, as he signs up for the potential explosive season finale.

“Okay, u0026quot;American Dreamzu0026quot; is not the best movie Iu0026#39;ve ever seen. But it did make me laugh, and itu0026#39;s chock full of talent.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003ePlot: a young terrorist is assigned to blow himself up on the television show u0026quot;American Dreamzu0026quot; while President Staton is a judge for the show.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eu0026quot;American Dreamzu0026quot; = u0026quot;American Idol.u0026quot; President Staton = George Bush Willem Dafoe plays a Dick Cheney like character.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eHugh Grant plays a Simon Callow like character.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eHugh Grant, as the calculating, sadistic, game show host, shows us his inner snake, and itu0026#39;s a pleasure making the snakeu0026#39;s acquaintance. Grant is convincingly cynical, twisted, and, at a key moment, vulnerable and poignant. And always funny.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eShoreh Aghdashloo, better known for operatic parts in serious dramas like u0026quot;House of Sand and Fog,u0026quot; reveals a wonderful gift for comedy. I can only hope she ever gets to play comedy again.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eNewcomer Sam Golzari is a poignantly convincing u0026quot;everymanu0026quot; driven to terrorism over grief at the death of his mother. The scene where he dances to Bob Fosse while in a terrorist training camp is worth the price of admission.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eAnother newcomer, Tony Yalda, is funny, commanding, and completely believable as a young show business wannabe. His every move is perfect, even as he watches his luckier cousin perform onstage. When he catches flaws in his own technique — as he watches himself in his full length mirror — his look of despair at his own failings is, thereu0026#39;s that word again — poignant.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eDennis Quaid, doing a George Bush imitation, somehow manages to keep his considerable sex appeal intact. How, I donu0026#39;t know.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eChris Klein, Mandy Moore, Marcia Gay Harden, Jennifer Coolidge — these are very talented people and they are all perfect.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eWhat isnu0026#39;t so great is the direction. It lacks the timing and snap of good comedic pacing. And there is a certain amount of incoherence in the script.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eSo, yeah, the movie isnu0026#39;t perfect, but it dares to poke fun at topics that have us all stymied, and to earn real laughs.”