Recount
(dir. Jay Roach)
HBO Films/ More 4
Fantastic dissection of the madness of the 2000 US election, when the world was left trying to work out what a hanging chad was and why it was keeping Al Gore from becoming President.
Even though you know the outcome (Bush stole it, Iraq 2.0 kicked off, thousands of people died) it's hard not to be swept up by the Democrats determination to play it out fairly and get the votes recounted. There's so much guff and propaganda talked about "democracy" from freedom lovers like Bush, that when you see what it actually comes down to up close and in action (adults arguing over tiny bits of paper on confusing ballot papers and what indentations may or may not signify), it's hard not to be at the very least, a little cynical.
At the same time, it presents a pretty forensic examination of the Republican attitude, and shows just how they manage to get their worldview across so fervently, using an intoxicating combination of lies, coercion, legal wrangling and attacks to simply wear down the nation - effectively planting the argument that the recount process was simply going on too long, so Gore really had better acquiesce because everyone was getting bored of trying to figure it out. Madness, but totally inspired media logic.
With a cast that includes Kevin Spacey, Bob Balaban, Ed Begley, Jr., Laura Dern, John Hurt, Denis Leary, Bruce McGill and Tom Wilkinson this is a quality outing, pushing the story along with real-life news footage and reconstructions.
It's already been on in the US, More4 are showing it 9pm, Fri 3 Oct - just before the first Vice-Presidential debate.
For further insight into the inner workings of the modern republican dirty tricks machine, BBC Four are showing Boogie Man: The Lee Atwater Story in their Storyville strand in a few weeks time, another essential recent history lesson.
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