Finally, a film about sex and politics but without the politics. More like MAD MEN in the White House, and mixing his own martinis, smoking cigarettes and juggling various secretarial affairs, Bill Murray morphs into Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Enter poor “Kissing cousin” Margaret (Laura Linney) an easy target for the Presidents indiscretions. It begins with an innocent and leisurely Sunday drive through a field and turns into “Oh My Mister President!”
But just as Roosevelt’s DOWNTON ABBEY-ish summer house gets all settled in with its secrets, along comes the King and Queen of England for a weekend visit in Upstate New York. Queen Elizabeth (Olivia Colman) and King George (Samuel West) have a Dickens of a time trying to figure out the strange American culture they’re suddenly subject to behind closed doors of toile wallpapers and Harpers-war-cartoons mocking the British soldiers. And that’s undoubtedly what UK based Director Roger MIchell was aiming for. The amusing laugh-out-loud moments that arise from the upper-crust stuffiness, the determination of the characters to stay proper while the house is abuzz with the idea that somebody’s been sleeping in my bed, and the obnoxious behavior of us spoilt Americans compared to the proper Brits.
But while structurally the movie falls into place, one of the minor problems is the lack of explanation as to why Roosevelt ever married his inelegant and odd wife, Eleanor (Elizabeth Williams) the furthest thing from society Presidential partner.
But the partnership of England and America will join forces over the simplest thing. A hot dog on a summer day bcause It takes a hot dog to “forge a special relationship.” ♕ ♚ ♛