DVD of the Week: American Dreamz

This is a relatively slow week for DVD, but your best bet is probably this cultural parody from director Paul Weitz (In Good Company, About A Boy). Dennis Quaid gives one of his most effective comedic performances as a thinly veiled caricature of George W. Bush in a story involving politics, terrorists, and American reality TV. Hugh Grant apes “American Idol” judge Simon Cowell with equally slim subtlety, but with wickedly tongue-in-cheek fun. The implausible premise involves the president becoming a guest judge on the titular mock “Idol” series while good hearted terrorist to be Omer Obeidi (Sam Golzari) competes against blonde ambition prototype Sally Kendoo (Mandy Moore) to be America’s next singing sensation. The film is often too much of a blunt instrument, making obvious and overly outlandish critiques in uninteresting and redundant ways. However, it does have moments of brilliance where it exposes with absolute audacity the media constructed images of everyone involved. Its subject specific material about Bush and “Idol” falters, but its general portrayal of media manipulation touches on some hysterical truth. The talented ensemble cast also includes Willem Dafoe, Marcia Gay Harden, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Judy Greer, Jennifer Coolidge, Jon Cho, Chris Klein, Seth Meyers, & Adam Busch.