Review of Bulworth (1998) by Alexander W — 09 Feb 2014

Written and directed by Warren Beatty, this film was made in absolute total secrecy at the time, mainly because Fox owed Beatty a film, as way of getting out of a lawsuit with Beatty because Fox dropped out of doing Dick Tracy (1990).

Beatty only gave them a rough outline, and got $30 million to make his film. It's a good political satire, which focuses on what politicians which they could do, but can't because it would be career suicide for them.

In 1996, liberal Senator Jay Bulworth (Beatty) is in a state of depression and is feeling suicidal. His political opinions, which won him voters in the 1960's and 1970's aren't working today, and a lot of people have turned their backs on him.

He puts out a $10 million life insurance policy on his own life, and hires an unknown assassin to kill him. With nothing to lose, he appears at political rallies in California, extremely drunk and starts speaking his mind and makes offensive remarks, which reaches a head when he goes to a club, and starts rapping.

This attitude actually wins favours with voters, and it's a shocking boost to Bulworth's career, he is aided by young campaigner Nina (Halle Berry), but Bulworth is fearful and mindful of when the day will come when he will be assassinated.

It's a darkly funny look at fame, and how people crave it and some shun it, and what some people will do to stay in the public spotlight for as long as possible, there's no-one worse at doing that than politicians.

It was also Beatty's last major film, (the debace of Town & Country (2001) aside), it's about time he made another film, as his presence has been missed from cinemas.