“Head of State” (DreamWorks Pictures)
Comedian Chris Rock is the Director, co-writer and star of the new film “Head of State.” That is a lot of effort to put into a movie that is only semi-successful. But the racial stereotypes that fill the film, plus the trivialization of the plot about the first black man to run for President of the United States, makes this movie not only un-entertaining, it makes it offensive.
Rock plays Mays Gilliam, a Washington DC Alderman, who is picked out of the blue to run for the position of President of the United States. This is the brainchild of Senator Bill Arnot (James Rebhorn). He thinks he can gain some votes for his party this way even if the candidate can’t win. Then in the next election he can run and be victorious. Mays knows nothing about this plan to let him lose.
The two people guiding his campaign are Debra Lassiter (Lynn Whitfield) and Martin Geller (Dylan Baker). They program Mays’ every move, until he wises up and decides to do his own thing. This includes bringing his brother Mitch (Bernie Mac) on board as his Vice Presidential running mate.
The movie is played for laughs but they are few and far between. Rock appears not to know when to be serious and when to be outlandishly funny. The result is a movie that is schizoid in its presentation.
Rock does have his moments, as does Bernie Mac. And when they are together they are at their best. Whitfield is droll and appealing as Mays’ chief programmer. Tamala Jones is pretty and perky as Lisa Clark, a girl Mays falls in love with at first sight. But it is Robin Givens who is the surprise of the film. She is hilarious as Mays’ ex-girlfriend who is stunned to find the man she rejected running for President.
The film is rated PG-13 for profanity.
“Head of State” is virtually a one-man show for Rock, but in this case maybe more heads could have made a better movie. Perhaps someone should have said, “Chris, this just isn’t working.” You’ll get some laughs but you won’t have the fun you expect to have when viewing this movie. It could never get elected as super entertainment.
I scored “Head of State” an absentee ballot 4 out of 10.
©2003 Jackie K. Cooper
