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Richard Dreyfuss, Raul Julia, Sonia Braga, Jonathan Winters, Fernando Rey ... see more see more... , Sammy Davis Jr. , Michael Greene , Polly Holliday , Milton Gonçalves , Charo , Marianne Sägebrecht , Reinhard Kolldehoff , Richard Russell Ramos , José Lewgoy , Dann Florek , Roger Aaron Brown , Dana Delany , Dick Cavett , Ike Pappas , Edward Asner , David Cale , Ariel Coelho , Betsy Mazursky , Rod McCary , Nildo Parente , Nelson Xavier , John C. Broderick , Lorin Dreyfuss , Jill Mazursky Cody , Bianca Rossini , Reuven Bar-Yotam , Nika Bonfim , Vera Buono , Ursula Cantu , Regina Casé , Catalano , Jorge Cherques , Renato Coutinho , Nina Fineman , Carlotta Gerson , Giovanna Gold , Guará Rodrigues , Mario Guimaraes , Patricio Guzmán , Guilherme Karan , Lutero Luiz , Lora Milligan , Rui Resende , Helio Souto , Carlos Augusto Strazzer , Flávio R. Tambellini , Neville de Almeida

Jack Noah (Richard Dreyfuss) is all actor: Self-possessed, obsessive, vulnerable, and an addict for praise, his soul burns with "the craft." Having just finished a grade-Z straight-to-cable crime thri... read more read more...ller in the fictional South American country of Parador, he gets the ultimate acting challenge (though it's more like an offer he can't refuse) from Roberto Strausman (Raul Julia), the Paradorian dictator's chief advisor. The challenge: impersonate the country's dictator, whose just died. Strausman knows just how to manipulate Noah: He takes him to a meat locker, shows him the director's body (actually Dreyfuss' brother, Lorin), threatens to kill him, and he brings clips of Noah's best reviews. Thus enticed, and bearing a striking resemblance to the man, Noah accepts the job. Under the exacting direction of Strausman, he follows the script precisely. Noah immediately enjoys the job's perks, not least of which is the dictator's scorching mistress, Madonna (Sonia Braga), but of course cannot conceal his real identity to her. A close call with Parador's revolutionaries and Madonna's brimming social conscience push Noah to take command of the role. He starts pushing a kinder, gentler social agenda, and incurs Strausman's wrath. It begins to look like Noah will play the dictator's last act, but a chance meeting with a stunt man friend (Michael Greene) inspires a caper that will change all of the characters' fates. ~ Nick Sambides, Jr., Rovi

Flixster Users

40% liked it

2,560 ratings

Critics

42% liked it

12 critics

PG-13, 1 hr. 44 min.

Directed by: Paul Mazursky

Release Date: September 9, 1988

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DVD Release Date: August 3, 2004

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Stats: 87 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (87)

  • ajv2688
    March 6, 2011
    ajv2688
    No, Parador isn't a real country, but that just means that this could be any country. The story is only somewhat realistic, but it's very funny, and entertaining. I really liked it.
  • garyX
    March 29, 2007
    garyX
    Mildly amusing comedy that's a cross between Bananas and Dave. Dreyfus is likeable enough, but it lacks bite and invariably falls back on weak farce and slapstick. OK though.
  • deano
    December 10, 2006
    deano
    This variation on The Prisoner of Zenda has Dreyfuss as a terrible actor agreeing to impersonate the dead ruler of a tinpot Caribbean country. Despite being fitfully amusing, that feeling déjà vu is never far away.
  • ileo
    January 12, 2008
    ileo
    Great movie! Sonia Braga ultimately shines!
  • phantopp
    July 28, 2008
    phantopp
    Actor "Jack Noah" (Richard Dreyfuss) is finally home, and bumps into a couple of friends. He tells him an unbelievable story where he was basically forced into taking the place of the "Parador" (played by various cities in Brazil) dictator, "President Alphonse Simms" (also played... read more by Dreyfuss at the start of the movie), who had died of a heart attack.

    He discusses how he was taught the mannerisms and other important information by the President's right-hand man, "Roberto Strausmann" (Raul Julia), who is secretly undermining the President.

    With help from the dead "President's" mistress "Madonna Mendez" (Sonia Braga), he begins to change the dictator's public image slowly, which pretty much upsets "Strausman".

    I have to day that this movie has some good chuckles, but not full of gut-busting laughs. A lot of the laughs are one-liners as "Noah" is trying to keep the fact that he is not the president from the good people of "Parador", who live in poverty the likes he has never seen. There were some missed opportunities though.

    In one scene, the kitchen staff has a sneaking suspicions that "Noah" is not the president. This is the only time in the entire movie that we see them talk about this. We don't see any other sign of them trying to prove their suspicions, even if it's just for themselves. I would also liked to have seen more scenes with Charro, who plays the president's maid. She could have provided some fair laughs with her trademark energy which causes her to talk at a fast rate making her almost completely incomprehensible because of her accent. Her energy could have also brought some laughs with any of the performers who could have kept up with her.

    Julia does a pretty good job as the villain, but I think that his true intentions should have been explored a bit more. It is pretty obvious that he is the true dictator with the late president as window dressing for him.

    Two other cast members which were under used was Jonathan Winters and Sammy Davis, Jr., who plays himself in a couple of scenes. Both have played comedic roles and could have done a good job if their roles were expanded. Winters was one of the few actors who could keep up with Robin Williams (both worked as father and son on the US television series "Mork and Mindy", with the younger Williams as the father). If Winters was allowed to go for it, he would have been pretty funny in his scenes.

    Dreyfuss and Braga had some fair on-screen chemistry in their scenes, but I felt that they could have been a bit better. Their on-screen romance wasn't really launched correctly in my opinion either. We hear "Noah", in voiceover telling the story to his friends, explain that he was falling for "Mendez", but we never really see it in the particular scene that was playing out under the voiceover.

    The music was pretty boring in this film. We hear some local Brazilian music, which is fair, but the "Parador" National Anthem is not great, especially when Davis sings it.

    If you are looking for a movie that is filled with laughs, I can't suggest this one. However, it's not that bad, with some fairly good laughs and a pretty good cast. I probably would say that you should catch this on HBO or another movie channel and save your money for something you want to rent.

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Critic Reviews

Steve Crum
May 11, 2006
Steve Crum, Video-Reviewmaster.com

Misfire comedy starring Dreyfuss, directed by Mazursky.

Clint Morris
July 4, 2005
Clint Morris, Moviehole

Dreyfuss at his usual, amusing best

Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
August 27, 2004
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice

A mediocre and lackluster comedy with Jonathan Winters providing the only funny moments.

Ken Hanke
May 30, 2004
Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

Not really good, but the spectacle of Mazursky in drag almost makes up for it.

Scott Weinberg
July 27, 2002
Scott Weinberg, eFilmCritic.com

Dreyfuss tries hard ... and almost saves the whole darn thing.

March 26, 2009
Variety

Click to read the article Full Review

Janet Maslin
May 20, 2003
Janet Maslin, New York Times

Click to read the article Full Review

Hal Hinson
January 1, 2000
Hal Hinson, Washington Post

Click to read the article Full Review

Roger Ebert
January 1, 2000
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

Click to read the article Full Review

Emanuel Levy
May 31, 2005
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com

No review available.

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