In Tim Robbins' bitingly sardonic mockumentary, his directorial debut, a British journalist (Brian Murray) follows the 1990 senatorial race in Pennsylvania, focusing on the campaign of Robert "Bob" Roberts (Robbins), a neoconservative folk-singer and self-made millionaire running on the Republican ticket.
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Roberts uses classic 1960's rock tunes with revised lyrics to push a platform of hate and greed which takes fire with the electorate, and he easily takes the lead against the incumbent, liberal Senator Brickley Paiste (Gore Vidal). Not satisfied with a two-point margin of victory, Roberts begins a vicious smear-campaign against Paiste, using altered photographs to sling mud at his opponent.
Although he is met at every rally and campaign stop with adoring fans, led by a young skinhead in a three-piece suit (Jack Black), and victory seems to be within his grasp, Roberts begins runs into serious trouble when a reporter for a radically liberal magazine (Giancarlo Esposito) finds evidence linking his campaign manager, CIA-operative-turned-fundraiser Lukas Hart III (Alan Rickman) to both the Iran-Contra scandal and the savings-and-loan crisis. As Roberts' poll numbers begin to drop, the candidate and his cronies resolve to take desperate measures to stem the tide.
The review of this Movie prepared by James Craver
In 1990 Bob Roberts (Robbins), an arch-conservative folk singer, decides to run for the Senate in Pennsylvania. Roberts rebelled against his hippy parents, went to military school, and got a business degree from Yale. In this movie, the Roberts campaign is seen through the eye of British documentary filmmaker Terry Manchester (Murray). Roberts's main message is "Greed is good," and he aims to promote his campaign with folk songs that turn the '60s on its ear. Campaign manager Lukas Hart III (Rickman) is a former CIA agent, and the campaign bus is a floating stock market day trading post. Roberts smears the incumbent, a tired liberal named Senator Brickley Paiste (Vidal) by spreading rumors that he's been cheating on his wife with a teenager. Throughout the campaign, journalist Bugs Raplin (Esposito) tries hard to get the dirt on Roberts, while the candidate's team retaliates. Besides starring in this bleak 1992 satire, Robbins wrote, directed, composed for, and sings in it. Among the cameos -- mostly playing news ancors and reporters -- are James Spader, Susan Sarandon, Helen Hunt, Peter Gallagher, Fred Ward, John Cusack, Bob Balaban, and David Strathairn.
The review of this Movie prepared by David Loftus
