What I’m Watching: several political films on streaming services

Date: 11/12/2020

What I’m watching: some great movies about politics.

Yes, I’m a glutton for punishment. One would imagine the last thing I’d want to watch are films about politics and yet, there are many great films that add nuance to our current political season.

All of the films are streaming, which does mean one needs an WiFi connection and a device such as a Roku in order to access these films. If only video stores still existed it would be easier for everyone to enjoy them.

“Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” on TV Time for free and for rent in Prime

Director Frank Capra’s emotional film from 1939 about how politics really works tells the story of a senator who dies, therefore requiring the governor to appoint a successor. That governor (played by Guy Kibbee) is heavily pressured by his political boss (Edward Arnold) and by the other senator representing the state (the always wonderful Claude Raines) into appointing Jefferson Smith (James Stewart), a person who is well known as the leader of a youth group, but has no political experience.

He is seen as a patsy easy to manipulate by the corrupt officials in his state.

An uplifting story that is based in the real politics of the era, it’s a must-see.

“All The President’s Men,” available to rent on Prime, Red Box, and Vudu

A film for its time, the 1976 film was based on the best-selling book of the same name by Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward and their reporting about the Watergate scandal in the Washington Post.

The film presents the first half of the book, but sets up the events that eventually led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon. From a journalistic viewpoint, the film illustrates what the two reporters had to do to leverage information supplied by a mysterious anonymous tipster, dubbed “Deep Throat,” into solid fact.

As with any film that is a docu-drama, I would encourage people to watch the film and then read the book to get the full story.

The movie features a powerhouse cast being led by Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman,  supported by Jason Robards and  Jack Warden, with Hal Holbrook as “Deep Throat,” who decades later was revealed as an associate director of the FBI.

“Wag the Dog,” available to rent on Prime and Vudu

 If America is nothing else in 2020 it is a boiling cauldron of lies, half-truths and conspiracies theories thanks to the Internet and social media. Well before such platforms, though “Wag the Dog” in 1997 showed how the media and the public could be manipulated.

This is a very black and very effective film about how the president of the United States is implicated in a scandal involving an under-age girl and what his supporters do to shift the attention of the public.

The top spin doctor (Robert DeNiro) calls in the help to a movie producer (Dustin Hoffman) to create a diversion for the media: a fictional war in Albania. This lie spirals in ways neither of them could imagine.

Barry Levinson doesn’t spare his audience and creates all-too-real story that seems even more plausible with this time.

“In the Loop,” available to rent on Prime and Vudu

While we’re talking about black political comedy, “In the Loop,” from 2009 is about as dark as one could get.

Based on the British TV comedy “The Thick of It,” the film stars Peter Capaldi as Malcom Ticker, the director of communications for the prime minister of Great Britain. His job is to spin the information released by the government concerning a possible war in the Middle East and statements made by another government official.

The story becomes international and American officials become involved and Tucker becomes involved in juggling information between the two sides.

This is a hilarious film and Capaldi is great as the frequently obscene Scotsman. I imagine that in many ways it’s not too far of the mark in terms of reality. I can easily imagine the in-fighting of government officials and the way two countries, supposedly allies, actually interact.