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Movies / On DVD / Bob Roberts
Bob Roberts

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Bob Roberts (1992)

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Reviews Counted:33

Fresh:33

Rotten:0

Average Rating:7.6/10

Runtime: 1 hr 43 mins

Genre: Comedies

Synopsis: Tim Robbins stars in his directorial debut as right-wing folksinger Bob Roberts in this satirical mock documentary. Roberts is joined on the Pennsylvania senatorial campaign trail by a British... Tim Robbins stars in his directorial debut as right-wing folksinger Bob Roberts in this satirical mock documentary. Roberts is joined on the Pennsylvania senatorial campaign trail by a British documentary filmmaker who offers insight into Roberts, his staff, and his supporters. Roberts is the anti-Bob Dylan, wowing his supporters with tunes such as "Times Are Changin' Back" and "Wall Street Rap" (which includes a video send-up of Dylan's "Subterranean Homesick Blues"). With his clean-cut good looks and squeaky-clean image, Roberts appears as American as apple pie. Yet, like most politicians, he harbors some nasty secrets, including potential involvement in illegal drug trafficking and bank scandals. And like most politicians, he is a master at manipulating the media. Roberts's political trickery turns serious when an innocent man is accused of attempting to assassinate the candidate. Some of Hollywood's best appear as news anchors and reporters, including Susan Sarandon, James Spader, Peter Gallagher, and Helen Hunt. Gore Vidal is immensely believable as the liberal incumbent trying to keep his Senate seat, battling Robbins, who is the consummate politician of the 1990s: lots of fluff and not much substance. [More]

Starring: Tim Robbins, Alan Rickman, Giancarlo Esposito, Ray Wise

Starring: Tim Robbins, Alan Rickman, Giancarlo Esposito, Ray Wise, Gore Vidal, Brian Murray, Rebecca Jenkins, Harry J. Lennix, John Ottavino, Robert Stanton, Jack Black, Bob Balaban, John Cusack, Peter Gallagher, Robert Hegyes, Helen Hunt, Pamela Reed, James Spader, Susan Sarandon, Fred Ward, Fisher Stevens, David Strathairn, Kelly Willis, Lynne Thigpen

Director: Tim Robbins

Director: Tim Robbins
Screenwriter: Tim Robbins
Producer: Forrest Murray
Composer: David Robbins

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Reviews for Bob Roberts

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1 - 20 (sorted by critic A-Z; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 >> >|
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Bob Roberts is not merely a satirical fictional biopic, but a wry exploration of the relationship between political reality and manufactured image.

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
02/09/06
Geoff Andrew
Geoff Andrew
Time Out
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

An over-strung last act aside, this is funny, brilliant and sickening all at the same time.

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
01/01/00
Angie Errigo
Angie Errigo
Empire Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

This Tim Robbins-helmed political satire about demogougery makes for an appropriate election-season re-release.

Full Review Source: Austin Chronicle | comment Comment
03/10/03
Marjorie Baumgarten
Marjorie Baumgarten
Austin Chronicle

Snappy political satire about a 1990 Pennsylvania race for the U.S.Senate.

Full Review Source: Spirituality and Practice | comment Comment
08/23/02
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
Spirituality and Practice

A very funny, sometimes prescient satire of American politics, and of the comparatively small, voting portion of the electorate that makes a Bob Roberts phenomenon possible.

Full Review Source: New York Times | comment Comment
05/20/03
Vincent Canby
Vincent Canby
New York Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Watching it might be an education for some voters, who will recognize in the movie political techniques they see being practiced all the time in real life.

Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times | comment Comment
01/01/00
Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

A timely political satire with real impudence.

Full Review Source: Movieline | comment Comment
01/09/02
Stephen Farber
Stephen Farber
Movieline

A funny and dark election-year satire by writer-director-star Tim Robbins, lampooning the political right and the extremes to which some of its constituents go.

Full Review Source: Deseret News, Salt Lake City | comment Comment
01/01/00
Chris Hicks
Chris Hicks
Deseret News, Salt Lake City

A welcome injection of venom.

Full Review Source: Washington Post | comment Comment
01/01/00
Rita Kempley
Rita Kempley
Washington Post

Robbins's satire is savvy and complex enough to send mixed signals to the viewers about politics and pop culture; both Democrats and Republicans may find supporting evidence for their arguments in his picture.

Full Review Source: EmanuelLevy.Com | comment Comment
04/29/06
Emanuel Levy
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com

A sort of political This Is Spinal Tap, Bob Roberts is both a stimulating social satire and, for thinking people, a depressing commentary on the devolution of the American political system.

Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
06/10/08
Todd McCarthy
Todd McCarthy
Variety
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Tim Robbins' documentary about singing Senate candidate is funny, scary political satire.

Full Review Source: Netflix | comment Comment
11/07/02
James Rocchi
James Rocchi
Netflix

A sometimes brilliant if overloaded pseudodocumentary satire.

Full Review Source: Chicago Reader | comment Comment
07/08/09
Jonathan Rosenbaum
Jonathan Rosenbaum
Chicago Reader

Admittedly, this is an uneven film, but it has a lot more pluses than minuses.

Full Review Source: Laramie Movie Scope | comment Comment
03/23/03
Robert Roten
Robert Roten
Laramie Movie Scope

Robbins, who scripted and directed, creates more than enough on his own. Bob's un-hackneyed character is the prime case in point.

Full Review Source: Washington Post | comment Comment
01/01/00
Desson Thomson
Desson Thomson
Washington Post

A political comedy that puts the tools of populist left wing politics into the hands of an arch-conservative and uses them to hit a bull’s-eye.

Full Review Source: Apollo Guide | comment Comment
02/13/01
Brian Webster
Brian Webster
Apollo Guide
N/R

Tim Robbins inaugurates the fall season with a slashingly funny political satire that ranks with the year's best films.

Full Review Source: Rolling Stone | comment Comment
05/12/01
Peter Travers
Peter Travers
Rolling Stone

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Flick Filosopher | comment Comment
01/01/00
MaryAnn Johanson
MaryAnn Johanson
Flick Filosopher

Characteristically and welcomingly Tim Robbins

comment Comment
01/24/06
Clint Morris
Clint Morris
Moviehole

a mostly on-target satire, with a great soundtrack

comment Comment
07/29/02
James Sanford
James Sanford
Kalamazoo Gazette
 
 
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