The story begins with a rumoured sex scandal between the President of the United States and a Firefly Girl which unfolds some two weeks before the election. Enter De Niro as Conrad Brean. He's a Spin Doctor, who's job it is to divert the media's attention from the inevitable furor and divert he does, by inventing the appearance of a war. To this end he recruits Hollywood producer Stanley Motss, i.e. Dustin Hoffman, to orchestrate the war with all the subtlety we expect from Hollywood. Motss surrounds himself with his favorite team, and voila, Albania becomes public enemy number one.

Even though there are huge holes in the plot, the film rings a warning bell deep in the subconscious that perhaps this satirical look at politics might actually be grounded in truth. After all, political savvy is nothing compared to a good slogan, and a war is the jackpot for diverting attention from anything.

To enhance this feeling of pseudo-reality, director Barry Levinson makes great use of field camera techniques. There's much employment of hand held camera work, accompanied by quick zooms, and seemingly random shots that enhance the clandestine feel to the film, encouraging the audience to believe they are witnessing a series of secretive events that might be reality.

The strength of Wag The Dog is watching De Niro brain storm the solution to the presidential predicament. De Niro is wonderful as the calm lunatic whose mind knows no limit. Dustin Hoffman is pretty ordinary as the Hollywood producer, but I think Hoffman gave up acting years ago, and just mumbles the Hoffman schtick to get him through each movie.

There are some great moments in the film. There's one line in the Woody Harrelson scenes that should not be missed, the Willie Nelson stuff is worth a chuckle, and the penultimate scene of the film is the genuinely chilling.

It's ironic that a film about the manipulation of the media should be spoilt by just that. But the fact is that promos for the film ARE the film, and all that remains to be seen is how things are played out. If you've not seen any ads for this film, you'll enjoy Wag the Dog. It's a good yarn, and an interesting spin on politics and the media. If you've seen the ads, however, you may find yourself unconcerned about who wags whom or why.