Head of State is a movie that should be way smarter and sharper than what it is. A movie premise about a black man running for President should be rife with possibilities. But Chris Rock took the lazy way out and made this movie a broad comedy how very disappointing. A lot of the characters feel like cartoon caricatures with the notable exception of Debra Lassiter played by Lynn Whitfield and Martin Geller played by Dylan Baker, respectively. Honestly, a lot of this film feels dated, and it reminds me of very unfunny SNL sketches from the early 2000s. But the movie does have some redeeming qualities, I particularly liked the moment where Chris Rock's character tells Dylan Baker's character you get to represent yourself and I have to represent my entire race. I thought this scene was very insightful and thought provoking. I kind of wish the entire movie was like this as opposed to being a broad comedy that panders to the lowest common denominator. But on the positive side, Chris Rock has some funny zingers, and he has some great chemistry with the lovely Tamala Jones. So you can say the movie isn't completely without social merit. And today in 2020, the film serves as an interesting time capsule of sorts. Head of State came out back in 2003, five years before Barack Obama got elected as President in 2008. So I guess sometimes life can intimate art and I use the term art loosely. Honestly, movies like Bulworth and Primary Colors handle race and politics way smarter and sharper than this film ever could. So I would recommend watching those films over Head of State. In conclusion, Head of State is a rather mediocre film that's ultimately forgettable.
Review of Head of State
