Review of The American President (1995) by Spangle — 26 Aug 2016

Loved this. Though it is a typical romantic comedy in many respects, Aaron Sorkin is such a talented writer, he manages to reinvent the wheel. Charming, cute, and sweet romantically, while tough, smart, and poignant politically, The American President is a really top-notch film that is a masterclass in writing.

Every word of dialogue oozes with power and weight, while demonstrating Sorkin's talent at creating incredibly well developed characters. Even better, the perfect writing allows this tremendous cast led by Michael Douglas, Annette Bening, Martin Sheen, and Michael J.

Fox to really take off and soar. Not only is the character development top-notch here, but it is a truly compelling and poignant look at politics and the presidency, especially the interesting idea as to what would transpire if the President dated during this age of the media.

Comedically, the film is incredibly smart, quick, and witty, showing that Sorkin is just as adept at writing a hilarious film as he is a smart one. Overall, The American President is a showcase for all the Sorkinisms that make his writing so damn perfect.

Though typical, the film is so well-written, those cliches are ignorable because this is those cliches at their very best. Hard to imagine these cliches being better executed.