BOB ROBERTS. Directed and written by Tim Robbins; produced by Forrest Murray for Paramount. Starring Tim Robbins, Giancarlo Esposito, Ray Wise and Alan Rickman. Rated R.
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What a timely movie! Bob Roberts would be entertaining, provocative, and all-around good filmmaking anytime. But seeing it with a heightened sensitivity to things political, as one does in an election year, makes it just that much better.
A supposed documentary of Roberts' (Robbins) senatorial campaign, the movie's style gives it a unique look. Some viewers used to more conventional techniques might be put off somewhat. (I do suggest not sitting as close to the screen as you normally might; there are some jittery hand-held camera shots that are best viewed at a distance.)
But this particular method of story-telling fits writer/director Robbins' objectives well. He has a definite point of view about Roberts. But he wants us to do the work of filling in the blanks in the character. And showing us only the image Roberts wants to project, and none of the details of his background, forces us to do this.
Serious as the subject matter is, and as demanding as its style of presensation is, Bob Roberts still manages to be a very funny movie. Especially when viewed from the outside, (the documentary director is British) the American political circus is a gold mine of ironic, surrealistic, sometimes even slapstick, humor.
Robbins' performance here is similar in tone to last spring's The Player. It is very understated and restrained, enough to make you wonder—now, this is the same wild man from Bull Durham and Cadillac Man, right? Certainly, no one can question Robbins' versatility.
Restraint is the watchword for Rickman, too. He's practically unrecognizable as Roberts' icy campaign manager (who also happens to be an ex-spy). Yes, folks, this is the same actor who was so rambunctiously villainous as the Sheriff of Nottingham last year (in Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves). He's no boy scout here, either. But this time, except for a minor slip or two, he conveys his evil nature by under-, not over-acting.
The rest of the cast is also excellent. And many delightful cameos provide a good helping of humor: Susan Sarandon, Fred Ward, James Spader and Pamela Reed make terrific news anchors. And Gore Vidal is fun to watch, as the incumbent Roberts is trying to unseat, essentially playing himself. And his character's name—Brickley Paiste—should win a special Oscar.
September 23, 1992