Rating: 
Summary: The times, they are a-chaangin' BACK. (No, seriously.)
Review: Suddenly, in the increasingly right-of-center autumn of 2001, this 1992 film seems timely all over again. In it, Tim Robbins plays a folk-singing uber-conservative Senatorial candidate (?!?!), running in Pennsylvania. The film follows his campaign's completely successful efforts to cajole, seduce, and flat-out dupe the media into slavishly following his every move. He gets ten times the coverage, as a "media phenomenon," as he might have as a simple candidate. His followers love him as though he were a rock star.Sadly, we may never know whether writer/director/star Tim Robbins consulted the Psychic Friends Network to get the idea for his film. No, wait -- he's still alive. I'll have to ask him about it. Be that as it may, the fact is that two years after the film, in 1994, the Republicans steamrolled their way into Congress fueled by rhetoric that, as often as not, could have been direct quotes from this film... Some of the political issues raised are dated now, such as the savings and loans scandals and the contras. Nevertheless, the basic spirit of an arch-conservative remains the same today, and comes through very clearly. I was bothered by the total vacuousness of Bob's supporters (actually, "disciples" might be a better word), who generally seem to come from less monied, less educated families than the supporters of Bob's opponent. Bob's supporters love him because he's a self-made rich man and he's not ashamed of it... it's true, it is all too easy to dismiss money as unimportant when you have plenty of it. I think, in a nutshell, Bob Roberts' supporters in the film are people who think of America as a "land of opportunity," not as a "society." After all -- many of our ancestors DID originally come here to get rich, which they could never do in most other lands. What his supporters miss is the absolute emptiness behind Bob Roberts' smile, and his arctic, ruthless willingness to do anything to get ahead and stay there. His supporters value hard work and success, which is fine, but they don't see that their idol values these things only insofar as they further his own insane dreams of glory. Today, some of the humorous touches may seem a little obscure for younger audiences. For example -- when BR was made, in 1992, cell phones were much more unusual than today. The fact that Bob's staffers constantly monitor media and stock market information on cell phones is intended to satirize yuppy consultants of the time. Today, it would strike no one as odd that staffers do this. Also, a lot of the music videos for the conservative folk songs are spoofs of particular music videos from the late 80s and early 90s. Another comedic touch that younger audiences might miss, for different reasons, is the way Merilee Dale portrays Bob's wife Polly. A pinker, more precious, perfect, beaming Republican daddy's girl one could never imagine. Watching this film, I imagined frequent catfights breaking out on the set between Dale and Susan Sarandon, Tim Robbins' real-life partner and co-star in the film, who is an extremely vocal and opinionated "feminist's feminist." This movie is a lot of fun, and it makes you think about things we should all worry about more. The only reason I'm not giving it five stars is that it felt a little thin for some reason -- maybe it could have used one more subplot. Still absolutely worth owning, however, and seeing again and again. Two thumbs up.
Rating: 
Summary: See the film for what it really is!
Review: I don't own the DVD, but the movie was great. People seem to be missing the point, and start to take the film seriously. See it for what it really is: a wonderful comedy/satire that happens to have a political touch.
Rating:
Summary: Very Good
Review: I always vote Republican. I'm conservative politically. ... I can't stand Tim Robbins knee-jerk liberal ranting when I read him spout political "thought" in interviews. Which means I really mean it when I say this is a first-rate film. It's really original, brilliantly written, well-acted and directed. I was amazed to find how much I like this film. Yeah, it's from a liberal perspective. But I did think it damning of a certain character-type, and not an ideology. This is a fine film.
Rating: 
Summary: A latter-day "Triumph of the Will"
Review: This film left me ambiguous. It is clearly a thinly veiled piece of left-wing ... to help Clinton with his election—something "The Contender" was meant to do in year 2000—yet it was (1) quite cleverly done; (2) it offered insight in the nature of the American voter; and (3) it had an impressive cast. The movie reminded me of an inverted version of "The Triumph of the Will" by Leni Riefenstahl, a 1934 documentary of the congress of the German National Socialist Workers' Party in Nuremberg. Tim Robbins had all the workings of ..., down to simple details like the extended-arm greeting. You are expected to become emotionally involved by showing aversion to the obviously bad guy, shed a tear when the news of the rogue reporter's death come in and, above all, you're expected to be angered with the political stance presented by Tim Robbins's character. It is possible that rhetoric students would have a field day studying this film, but maybe not—because it was intended to expose cliches, but it did so employing another, rather blatant cliche in itself. So let's just call it a case study for the beginning rhetoric and film student. What is worrying though is that the events depicted in "Bob Roberts" rang very familiar. It was like watching the Bush vs Gore campaign all over again, except that the cinematic rendition was created nearly 10 years previously. Despite what actor-...-writer-...-director (in another word, "auteur") Robbins was implying so desperately, neither side seemed too convincing. I still reserve the right to view Brickley Paiste's economic policy as utter poppycock, yet it seemed bizarre for such a seemingly educated public that Americans claim to be to enter this frenzy of a zero-sum devotion to one candidate as a package deal. Have they no reason, or is it some Freudian search for a missing identity in the vast, homogenous crowd that the USA is? If it was just a parody, I wouldn't worry; yet the Charles Manson associations at times portrayed these excesses quite well. Another thing that I found interesting was the appearance of some rather unexpected stars. For a smallish and forgotten film, complementing Tim Robbins (who did a better job as a dim-witted loser in "Erik the Viking" and "The Hudsucker Proxy") and Alan Rickman ("Galaxy Quest," "Dogma") were John Cusack, Bob Balaban (the small, funny-looking kinda guy from Woody Allen movies and "Waiting for Guffman"), Helen Hunt as a minor reporter, Jack Black as the mental kid of the Mayor of Harrisburg, Susan Sarandon as news presenter, Jeremy Piven ("PCU," "The Grifters," "Kiss the Girls")—basically, it was fun to look out for another familiar face in the many crowds featured on this imaginary campaign trail. I'm giving "Bob Roberts" three stars because it carries a clear message of warning—and not of the hippie leftist type that Giancarlo Esposito's character was trying to convey. Even if this film doesn't call for reason, a cerebral viewer should be able to infer this, and it's even redundant for me to note that if indeed you are a cerebral viewer.
Rating: 
Summary: A liberal's wet dream
Review: For those who wish to believe that the liberal politician is the selfless servant of mankind too pure and true to stoop to the horrific tactics of the conservative who of course is only interested in defending the powerful and taking from the helpless. I would echo the thoughts of reviewers Harris and Moore - Tim Robbin's film is so pathetically simple minded and transparent in demonizing the right it loses all credibility. But credibility aside - the movie was boring and stupid. A great example how ideology and self love can turn an otherwise brilliant movie maker into a dunce.
Rating:
Summary: Starts Well, But Goes Downhill
Review: This movie starts off strong as a parody of politics in general, and conservative politics in particular. It does a good job in its parody role, too. Unfortunately, the latter part of the film gets into uber-conspiracy theories linking all of the great scandals of the Reagan-Bush years into one massive plot. I'm unsure if Robbins meant for the film imply that there was such a great linkage, but, considering its very political nature, I must suspect he does feel that there is truth behind his fictional accusations. And I've grown quite tired of claims of massive government conspiracy. So ultimately, I'd say this is worth watching, but should be taken with a grain of salt.
Rating:
Summary: Superb DVD of a sharp political satire
Review: As many reviewers have already pointed out this is a very smart and funny movie. Extremely well written, acted and directed, and very relevant in light of the recent "voting irregularities" and media manipulation during the 2000 Presidential election. I strongly recommend the DVD version, as it includes three separate feature length Audio Commentaries: The first done by actor/director/writer Tim Robbins in the early 1990s, the second is Tim Robbins and acclaimed author/actor/historian Gore Vidal recorded recently for the DVD edition, and the third audio commentary features editors of the Counterpunch Newsletter who give detailed information and insight into the Iran/Contra scandal and assorted other items routinely avoided by mainstream media. Definately worth watching several times.
Rating:
Summary: A Great Comedy With a GREAT Plot!
Review: This film is AMAZING. Not only is it hilarious, but it has a great plot. Some might mock the "folk" songs that he plays, but I think they were great. The music videos were so funny. And the random humor throughout the film fits great with the more serious parts of the film that may be slower. I recommend this film for any one that likes good movies!
Rating:
Summary: biting, clever & unconventional
Review: The first writing/directing feature for Tim Robbins (The Player, Shawshank Redemption) is a biting 'mocumentary' on the functioning of American politics. Robbins plays Bob Roberts, a would-be senator, followed across the US by a British documentary crew during his campaign to be elected to Congress where he will ratify the use of US military forces in The Gulf. The problem is, Bob Roberts is a fanatic right-wing racist already renowned for his racially discriminatory folk music. While many will be put off by the unconventional nature of the film, and American pride is sure to be wrangled by a lot of what this film says, 'Bob Roberts' is nevertheless a fantastic watch and a great predecessor to more successful films such as 'Primary Colors.' If you have any interest in the machinations of American domestic politics or racial discrimination then this is a film worth owning for repeat viewings.
Rating:
Summary: A Staggeringly Biased and Unrealistic Movie
Review: The basic idea behind this movie is that anyone who is to the right of Tim Robbins politically is a hypocritical fraud. He creates a group of characters who embody the left's worst stereotypes of Conservatives and then proceeds to let us know what awful people they are . It's the kind of thoughtless agitprop that can only come from someone who's never actually met a Republican. If you've ever had a political discussion that was more nuanced than a lite beer commercial, this movie will leave you cold.
|
