American Dreamz - Alles nur Show

Imagine a terrorist getting to the final round of an American Idol-type show so that he can bump off one of the judges - the President of the United States. Paul Weitz has a great and creative imagination to think up the plot of "American Dreamz," a 2006 comedy that he wrote and directed.

The premise is that the President of the U.S. (Dennis Quaid) is the puppet of his chief adviser (Willem Dafoe) and has to have an earpiece so he knows what to say. At the beginning of the film, he's reading newspapers and discovering that things in the world aren't quite as they've been described to him. So absorbed is he in this new knowledge, that he won't leave the residence, and rumors surface that he's had a nervous breakdown or is ill. So his Chief of Staff mounts a massive publicity campaign, and one of the things he does is arrange for the President to judge the "American Dreamz" talent contest. Hugh Grant is the Simon Cowell character who also hosts the show. He wants a Jew and an Arab to compete, plus someone really yummy (Mandy Moore).

An idiot terrorist, Iqbal Riza (Tony Yalda) is sent to the U.S. to get him out of the way, and he lives with his cousins. His goal in life is to be on American Dreamz. However, the day the Dreamz committee arrives in response to his tape, his terrorist cousin Omer (Sam Golzali) is in his stage/basement setup doing a song from Guys and Dolls. He's scooped up for American Dreamz, which makes Iqbal a) furious and b) his choreographer. The terrorist bosses devise a bomb that Omer will retrieve in the mens room to kill himself and the President - but he has to get to the final round.

This comedy is truly outrageous. I just wish we could have seen a few more numbers from Omer and his cousin - for me, the competition just made the movie. In my opinion also, it would have been funnier if the Mandy Moore character of Sally Kendoo had been below par - she actually was pretty good. When Omer went into "The Impossible Dream" and one of the terrorists criticizes the choice of song to his fellow cell members, it was hilarious.

It is incredibly nervy to show terrorists assembling pieces of a bomb for Omer to put together and juxtapose it with a mindless competition - nervy because it's the old Hitchcock terror in normal places idea that is scary indeed.

After all Omer has been told about the evils in America, it must seem like a pretty silly place to him - but tempting - and he goes after the American Dream on American Dreamz. Sally Kendoo, looking for all the world like an innocent hometown girl, is anything but, as ruthless as they come, even taking advantage of an Iraqui vet she doesn't love to pull in audience votes. Grant is appropriately sleazy as Martin Tweed, Quaid good as an out of it President just finding his own voice, and Marcia Gay Harden has a small but colorful role as the First Lady.

Most of the characters are sketchy and not likable - except for Omer and his cousin, who are a riot. If only real young terrorists were the way these two are depicted.

When I was reading the other people's opinion's on American Dreamz, I wondered if they even realized it was a satire...? I surely hope that all who watched it even knows what a satire is: It is when you mock people and their doings/obsessions with the hope of improvement. In this movie, the director (Paul Weitz) mocks everything from America's obsession with TV-shows like Idols to George W. Bush and his delectable office. This is surely a movie you would want to watch a couple of times over - just to catch that dreary bit you most certainly missed the first time.

I would give this movie a well deserved 8 out of ten.

Okay, "American Dreamz" is not the best movie I've ever seen. But it did make me laugh, and it's chock full of talent.

Plot: a young terrorist is assigned to blow himself up on the television show "American Dreamz" while President Staton is a judge for the show.

"American Dreamz" = "American Idol." President Staton = George Bush Willem Dafoe plays a Dick Cheney like character.

Hugh Grant plays a Simon Callow like character.

Hugh Grant, as the calculating, sadistic, game show host, shows us his inner snake, and it's a pleasure making the snake's acquaintance. Grant is convincingly cynical, twisted, and, at a key moment, vulnerable and poignant. And always funny.

Shoreh Aghdashloo, better known for operatic parts in serious dramas like "House of Sand and Fog," reveals a wonderful gift for comedy. I can only hope she ever gets to play comedy again.

Newcomer Sam Golzari is a poignantly convincing "everyman" driven to terrorism over grief at the death of his mother. The scene where he dances to Bob Fosse while in a terrorist training camp is worth the price of admission.

Another newcomer, Tony Yalda, is funny, commanding, and completely believable as a young show business wannabe. His every move is perfect, even as he watches his luckier cousin perform onstage. When he catches flaws in his own technique -- as he watches himself in his full length mirror -- his look of despair at his own failings is, there's that word again -- poignant.

Dennis Quaid, doing a George Bush imitation, somehow manages to keep his considerable sex appeal intact. How, I don't know.

Chris Klein, Mandy Moore, Marcia Gay Harden, Jennifer Coolidge -- these are very talented people and they are all perfect.

What isn't so great is the direction. It lacks the timing and snap of good comedic pacing. And there is a certain amount of incoherence in the script.

So, yeah, the movie isn't perfect, but it dares to poke fun at topics that have us all stymied, and to earn real laughs.

"American Dreamz" is first and foremost a satire on pop culture America. This movie is based around the television series American Dreamz which is the highest grossing show not only in America but around the world as well. The show is hosted by Martin Tweed, (Hugh Grant) a heartless man who is just doing the show for his own selfish reasons. American Dreamz is about to start its new season and as they go through the casting process they pick a southern girl named Sally Kendoo (Mandy Moore), an Arab named Omer (Sam Golzari) and many others. But that's not all the movie focuses on, it also focuses on President Staton (Dennis Quaid) who has just gotten reelected but is finally beginning to wonder what's going on in this world he is supposedly running. As the president begins to question his role, Vice President Sutter (Willem Dafoe) signs President Staton up to appear on the season finale of American Dreamz so he can redeem his image to the American Public. Bold and funny moments ensue…

"American Dreamz" is a very ballsy and brave movie. At times it is so hard to realize you're watching a movie that was made by the big Hollywood studios because this film mocks everything about their culture and thinking. I think this film will be appreciated by very few because people will not be able to look at this film for what it is, a satire. The movie mocks so much about our current country from the television show American Idol to George Bush and Dick Cheney. I feel so few will be able to understand that this film isn't to be taken seriously, since it mocks issues that are happening in real life.

What I liked best about "American Dreamz" was that it mocked everything and everyone. From rich America to white trash America no one was safe. The movie mocks the United States as well as Iraq. It mocks fashion, music, television and so forth. It's a brave movie for being able to mock all these things because I can see so many people getting ticked off by the film.

But forget about everyone else for a moment, this review is based on my thoughts and I found the film to be incredible. It is one of the best movies I have seen so far this year. The film provides a lot of laughs and never drags on. The movie wants its audience to be able to laugh at themselves, something that Americans tend not to be able to do so well. It's a brave and comedic satire that pulls all the right punches and is based around a show that is truly something that everyone in the world is aware of.

Hugh Grant is terrific as Martin Tweed, the foul-mouthed, uncaring, fame seeker who doesn't care about anyone but himself. He pretty much mocks Simon Cowell from the show "American Idol" and I think he does this well. Mandy Moore is terrific as well and I think after a few more roles like this and "Saved!" she will start being recognized in Hollywood. Her character Sally Kendoo is pretty much a female version of Martin Tweed. She is uncaring, she wants fame, and she doesn't seem to care about anyone but herself. Not to mention she is a perfect mockery of such pop icons like Britney Spears and Carrie Underwood. Dennis Quaid does a great job impersonating President Bush and actually makes a more likable President in my opinion then the real George Bush. Also Willem Dafoe is the perfect mockery of Dick Cheney. I think his performance here is so dead on that he should receive some kind of nomination for his portrayal. But the real star of the movie is Omer played by Sam Golzari. He absolutely steals the movie from everyone else. He is the most likable and sweet character. At first you laugh at him but as the film goes on you begin to really love his character and feel for him.

Paul Weitz is the director, writer and producer of "American Dreamz." Weitz is one talented guy who takes so many actors and makes them into something great. "About a Boy," "In Good Company," and his short lived but brilliant television series "Cracking Up" all prove that he is a talented guy who can create original and clever work and "American Dreamz" is no different. But not only is he a great director but a great writer as well. His screenplay is great and mocks cultures with dead on examples, not to mention his non-typical Hollywood ending which I applaud him for leaving in. I read audience reactions from the test screenings about the ending were pretty negative but I am glad he kept it because I feel it's a great ending.

Bottom Line, "American Dreamz" is for audiences who can laugh at themselves and the culture they are apart of. This is a film that people will either love or hate and there will only be a few in between. It's not a movie for those who are easily offended or see the world as something that shouldn't be made fun of. It's a satire in its finest form. You have a terrific cast all of whom are solid at their roles, the script is brilliant and brave, and the directing is wonderful. This movie even makes you think when you laugh. You can't ask for a better comedy movie to come out of Hollywood, this is the finest satire to be released from a major studio in years. If you have a decent sense of humor and can laugh at yourself every once in a while, check out "American Dreamz" because it really is a dream with a Z.

MovieManMenzel's final rating for "American Dreamz" is a 9/10. It's the best satire to come out of Hollywood in years.

This is a hilarious, if not perfect, satire. Mainly making fun of everything related to American pop culture, this also dedicates effort to parodying the administration of the time(and not doing anything to make it less obvious that that's what it's about)... and as something nice and different, it's about their personalities, not their politics. The humor is excellent, with a lot of dark comedy and absurdity, as well as cleverness. There is a lot of bravery in how far it goes to mock certain things, and I found the vast majority of it hysterical. With that said, some jokes and gags try too hard and fall flat. And I won't be an ass and claim that "everyone who doesn't like this doesn't get it". Weitz also directed American Pie and Down to Earth, and like in the first-mentioned, this juggles several plot-lines well. The characters are mostly credible, if not all the events are. It should perhaps be mentioned that you are, in fact, not supposed to sympathize with everyone in this, and it also is worth noting that there *are* a couple of likable ones, that you can relate to. The performances are a tad mixed, but they tend to be good. Klein is great, as is Grant. Greer isn't given enough to do, in my opinion. And yes, Moore is pretty annoying. She's not an actress, or wasn't at this point. The singing in this is enjoyable. There is occasional sexuality(and a little eye-candy, for both genders), mainly hinted at, sometimes in dialog(no details), and brief strong language in this. I recommend this to anyone that can imagine being entertained by it. 7/10