We have a very good plot here when 3 presidential consultants in campaign making are enlisted to go to Russia and work on the campaign of candidate Boris Yeltsin.
We see that because the Russians are so unfamiliar with democracy, ideas of dirty tricks, campaigning with a message, negative campaigning, kissing babies, etc. is all literally foreign to them.
The problem with the potentially good film is with the actors here. Jeff Goldblum, Anthony La Paglia and Liev Schrieber really don't allow their characters to develop and frankly all three are unusually dull. Luckily, it's the story-line in this film that carries it through somewhat.
The movie does turn a little dramatic after being comical for the first part. Again, it is the Russian inexperience with democracy that really comes through here. Cancel an election? Surprising concept, but easy for the Russians to understand.
Of course, by film's end, the Russians have learned to play the political game.
We see that because the Russians are so unfamiliar with democracy, ideas of dirty tricks, campaigning with a message, negative campaigning, kissing babies, etc. is all literally foreign to them.
The problem with the potentially good film is with the actors here. Jeff Goldblum, Anthony La Paglia and Liev Schrieber really don't allow their characters to develop and frankly all three are unusually dull. Luckily, it's the story-line in this film that carries it through somewhat.
The movie does turn a little dramatic after being comical for the first part. Again, it is the Russian inexperience with democracy that really comes through here. Cancel an election? Surprising concept, but easy for the Russians to understand.
Of course, by film's end, the Russians have learned to play the political game.