Review of Bob Roberts (1992) by Simon D — 25 Feb 2014

My knowledge of American Politics goes about as far as Watergate, any US President that was assassinated and jokes about George W. Bush from Whose Line is it Anyway?, so many of the satirical elements in Bob Roberts won't have the same effect on me that it did on the American crowd.

Bob Roberts' main source of comedy is the political satire that surrounds the characterisation of the titular figure, Robert "Bob" Roberts Jr. and so all of the effort falls on Tim Robbins as the writer, director and star of the satirical mockumentary. And he puts all the emphasis on what is important which makes Bob Roberts come out as one of the most clever and originally satirical mockumentaries since Rob Reiner's 1984 "Rockumentary" This is Spinal Tap.

Bob Roberts touches upon some sensitive as well as comedic material in Bob Roberts by taking a look at the complicated process of American politics in terms of appealing to voters more based on saying things that sound good to people than on giving out any meaningful guarantees as a politician. I mean, every move Bob Roberts makes is stereotypical of his conservative nature and yet it just sucks the interest of the American public right in. Bob Roberts serves as not just a satirical look at American Political system, but as a commentary on it as well. As it is the political system today in America as well as Australia puts too much focus into appealing to crowds through forging images of a hard working citizen instead of putting intelligent focus into coming up with new directives and positive ways to improve the world. This tends to drive me insane because its some of the most disgracefully lying propaganda in the political world, and its not changing a thing. And Bob Roberts knows this and dedicates its film to pointing out that despite the idiotic nature of its protagonist, people will still vote for and support him at every inch of his career due to his dedication to being seen as an appealing figure by the public.

Honestly, anyone fed up with the political system of 1992 can look at Bob Roberts for its nostalgia and for how it commented on the politics from before it, such as the timeframe of the American 1960's from a conservative perspective which is so stereotypical that it is too funny to pass up. And it's hilarious to look at now and realise that the status of politics has actually not developed at all in the 22 years since Bob Roberts is made. I mean the story is so realistic in how it spearheads American politics that it becomes easy to forget that the film is a mockumentary. It feels the most realistic of any politics I've ever seen, even though it's a satire, and so it's safe to say that Tim Robbins deserves serious acclaim for bringing the story to life and making it feel so ultimately genuine as a story.

All the real importance in Bob Roberts is how the titular figure is characterised, and his conservative nature is pretty funny such as when he reflects on the 1960's as a time of negativity not for the Vietnam war or due to Watergate, but due to the uprising of American Counterculture and the exploration of such things as sexual freedom. This hilariously sets politicians apart from the real public while it contrasts how politicians attempt to act like members of the public in other ways, and the more you think about it the funnier it is. There is no denying that Bob Roberts is one of the most intelligent things for Tim Robbins to ever have had a hand in creating, and his dedicated passion to the film in terms of writing, directing, acting and playing his musical pieces as he sings with heart in him is just refreshing.

And the performances of Alan Rickman and Ray Wise were terrific, as well as Susan Sarandon's cameo being a friendly face, making the univers that Bob Roberts is set in feel a lot more realistic.

Bob Roberts is one of the most realistic political films ever made, even as a satirical mockumentary, and even though its humour is rather scattershot in terms of actually hitting laughter at times it is a consistently intelligent and original tale of a man who beat the odds and succeeded in election.