American Dreamz

Coolidge always seems to be tuned to a wavelength unlike that of her fellow Earthlings , yet the results tend to be reliably good for the movie at hand, even an ambitious misfire like "American Dreamz. After boning up on the world in all its distressing real-world ambiguities, Quaid's president dissolves into a puddle of stasis and starts hiding out in his jammies, refusing any and all public appearances. ... Full Review

The film rarely tells us what we don't already know and its brief allusions to the real world, including a soldier wounded in Iraq (Chris Klein) and a Middle Eastern terrorist cell that infiltrates the show through a show tune-loving member (Sam Golzari) are embarrassingly inept. ... Full Review

Neither a special disc nor a strong movie, this set doesn't earn my recommendation. Music fared best. The tunes and score were vivid and lively throughout the movie. A few short character pieces fill out the rest. ... Full Review

Weitz goes on to say that, in Dreamz , she was capable of more than playing a version of her pop-star self: "I think she's able to handle a certain kind of comedy. And then there's Moore , not simply cashing in her chips for the most extreme kind of fame available, but straining for transformation, to be creative, to challenge herself. ... Full Review

By the end, it surrenders to lame, half-baked comedy and missed opportunity.....If ever the time was right for a film like this, it's now..... ... Full Review

But American Dreamz is diverting without being particularly compelling, and amusing without being terribly funny.....he's recruited a stellar cast that gets the most out of his material..... ... Full Review

There is a lot of setup here that could lead into a profound satire but the jokes last too long. Martin Tweed (Hugh Grant) is a host of the most popular show on television, American Dreamz, which (like American Idol) showcases people with not very much talent as having much more than reality has given them. ... Full Review

his general attitude is what makes the movie bearable.....The best two characters are Omer and his cousin Iqbal.....Mandy Moore and Hugh Grant play are all right..... ... Full Review

By now you've probably guessed that most of the principals in "American Dreamz" are modeled on real-life figures, many of whom we love to hate. But the further I got into "American Dreamz," the more clearly I saw the outrage, and the deep frustration, embedded in the gag -- and in the movie as a whole. ... Full Review

Frightened by the President's apparent nervous breakdown, his Chief of Staff (Dafoe) pushes him back into the spotlight, booking him as a guest judge on the television ratings juggernaut (and the President's personal fave), the weekly talent show American Dreamz. ... Full Review