Dir. Donovan Leitch & Rebecca Chaiklin, 89 mins Cast:
Philip Seymour Hoffman
Now that George W. Bush has been ensconced in the White House for three years, Last Party 2000 might appear out of date, but this entertaining and irreverent documentary is a timely reminder of one of the most controversial elections in American history. Philip Seymour Hoffman is the host exploring the health of democracy during the 2000 U.S Presidential elections. Bill Clinton, a Democrat, has been in the White House for 8 years, and is ineligible to stand for another term. Roll up Republican candidate George W. Bush and Democrat candidate Al Gore. In the run up to a Presidential election, both parties hold conventions to drum up support and funding. Against this backdrop Hoffman, modest documentary crew in tow, goes looking for answers. Soon a clear bias emerges in the film making, and for anyone familiar with current American politics the bigger interviewees act as a role call of the left: Green Party candidate Ralph Nader, intellectual heavyweight Noam Chomsky, political commentator and TV host Bill Mayer, humourist Michael Moore, activist Jesse Jackson and fellow liberal actors Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins. To be fair though, a wide range of opinions are given their say; senators from both parties, the religious right, the NRA, rock stars and of course the peaceful protestors on the street fighting to find an outlet for their views. A working knowledge of American politics helps to contextualise all this information, but it isn't vital, and even seasoned cynics may be shocked by the sight of senators speaking openly about the corruption inherent in the one dollar one vote system. Following Hoffman around the Republican and Democrat conventions reveals a scale of political staging and showbiz that Tony Blair can only dream about. Throughout Last Party 2000 the low budget documentary style tends to grate, and at times the poor sound quality and lax focusing detract heavily from the content. The pacing is good though, helped by the talking heads being inter-cut with live music footage including outspoken stalwarts Eddie Vedder and Rage Against The Machine. Hoffman, one of America's most gifted character actors, is always likeable and endearing but he lacks the presence and wit of Michael Moore or the diligence and sincerity of John Pilger. At best he does a good job of playing the everyman and letting others do the talking, but at worst he is out of his depth and proves frustrating when he tries to make comment himself. Last Party 2000 is a laudable documentary and an excellent example of modern Indy-Media filmmaking. There is always a danger of preaching to the converted, but even the most politically aware viewer should find something new and interesting. The conclusion is clear, democracy is ill, but having made its diagnosis Last Party 2000 doesn't offer any cure. This is a weakness in the film and also a sad reflection of the reality in American politics today. Nevertheless, this film should be compulsory viewing in all American High Schools. Gavin Bush |
