Almost clever.... Review on American Dreamz Movie

Cast: Hugh Grant, Dennis Quaid, Willem Dafoe, Mandy Moore, Sam Golzari. Dir: Paul Weitz The pursuit of happiness is a dizzying journey in this madcap satire. American Dreamz has a cracking cast, a corking script , some classic comedy moments and is almost as clever as it thinks it is. Hugh Grant plays the big-named host of an X-Factor style show and Dennis Quaid is the President on verge of a breakdown who agrees to appear on the programme as a judge and can't quite get a handle on that ''Iraqiastani'' problem.

Willem Dafoe plays his assistant and Mandy Moore is contestant Sally - a scheming Britney Spears clone - who dreams of becoming a star. Quaid and Grant in particular make a near-perfect double act - think Simon Cowell minus the tight jumpers meets George W. Bush and you'll get the picture. If the Academy Award bods weren't such snobs about comedy, Hugh Grant would get an Oscar nomination for his performance. As for the script, it's written by the film's director Paul Weitz who was Oscar nominated for co-writing About A Boy - which also starred Grant - and who gave the world American Pie. So he knows about comedy, and, as with the adaptation of Nick Hornby's novel, he knows how to make the sometimes lazy Grant raise his game.

The set-up's also perfect. I mean, just imagine a country where the President never reads a paper, where the government goes to war for the wrong reasons and more people vote for a Pop Idol than a politician. Ring any bells?

This film is a mickey-take of the US, TV talent shows and world events because one of the finalists on American Dreamz happens to be a wannabe terrorist waiting for an assignment. Like maybe getting rid of the President? Sam Golzari plays an Arab jihadist with a secret passion for Broadway show tunes and Frank Sinatra. And that's where this movie gets ever-so-slightly too complicated and pleased with itself.

The satire gets just a little too heavy-handed and, to be honest, annoying. The gaudy parade of 2D people turns hollow and cold as a TV freak show with some character complexity before reverting to type. But it's still a funny, clever film.