Dear Dictator Explained

Dear Dictator
Music:Sebastián Kauderer
Cinematography:Wyatt Troll
Editing:Kent Beyda
Runtime:90 minutes
Country:United States
Language:English
Budget:$6.7 million[1]

Dear Dictator is a 2018 American satire comedy film written and directed by Lisa Addario and Joe Syracuse. The film stars Michael Caine, Katie Holmes, Odeya Rush, Seth Green, and Jason Biggs.

The plot follows a sixteen-year-old American girl who becomes the pen pal of a notorious island nation dictator even when he is deposed.

Plot

Tatiana Mills (Odeya Rush), a sixteen-year-old American girl, lives a quasi-chaotic life with her single mother Darlene (Katie Holmes), who is in a complex romantic relationship with her married boss Dr. Charles (Seth Green) who is a dentist with a foot fetish. In a letter-writing exercise started by her Social studies teacher Mr. Spines (Jason Biggs), Tatiana becomes pen pals with Anton Vincent (Michael Caine), a notorious island nation dictator.

When Vincent is deposed by his own people, who rise up against his violent and oppressive rule, he disappears, causing Tatiana to worry about his safety. A few days later, he unexpectedly arrives in the United States and seeks refuge in Tatiana's suburban garage. There, he develops a grandfatherly relationship with the teen and her struggling mother, becoming a useful man around the house while organizing his restoration as a leader with loyalist forces back in his unnamed homeland.

Anton shifts his focus to Tatiana's high school life and her desire to deliver payback to the popular girls who bully her. He makes her a dictator-in-training and teaches her to rise to power in her school in a similar way to his ascent to power in the Caribbean. Ultimately his plans go too far, putting him at odds with Tatiana, who also comes under investigation from the security services who have picked up on Anton's communication with his loyalist forces and suspect she is involved with terrorism.

The police interview Tatiana and Darlene and search their house, blissfully unaware that the old man in the house is Anton Vincent – whose whereabouts are unknown. No evidence is found and they are released, but upon release, Tatiana informs the police that the old man is Vincent and he is arrested pending extradition.[2] [3]

Production

The script was shown among the 2006 Black List of unproduced scripts.[4] Also in 2006, the script was presented as a staged reading at the Nantucket Film Festival.[5] Alfred Molina, Robert De Niro and Anthony Hopkins were previously attached as the dictator role.[6] On June 8, 2016, Michael Caine and Maisie Williams were announced as the lead stars of the film.[7]

Principal photography on the film began on July 29, 2016, at 402 Arlington rd. in Savannah, Georgia.[8] First photographs of Katie Holmes and Odeya Rush filming scenes for the film were published on E! News on July 31, 2016.[9] Production wrapped in October 2016.[10]

Release

Dear Dictator held advance screenings, under its working title Coup d'Etat, at the Nantucket Film Festival,[11] New Jersey Indie Street Film Festival,[12] Carmel International Film Festival[13] and the Napa Valley Film Festival.[14]

Cinedigm released the film in North America simultaneously in theaters and on video on demand on March 16, 2018, followed by a DVD release on April 24, 2018.[15] The first trailer was released on January 17, 2018.[16]

Critical response

The film received negative reviews, but the performances of Caine and Rush were praised. On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of based on reviews, and an average rating of . The site's critical consensus reads, "Dear Dictator never comes close to taking advantage of its wildly silly premise -- or the assortment of talented veterans who round out the cast."[17] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 44 out of 100, based on 8 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[18] The Hollywood Reporter reviewer Justin Lowe commended the film, suggesting "If only every international political crisis were this amusing."[19]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Webster. Gretchen. Westport native films 'Amateur Night' for big screen. Westport News. 21 May 2016. 10 November 2016.
  2. Web site: Dear Dictator Movie Review & Film Summary (2018) - Roger Ebert. Simon. Abrams. www.rogerebert.com.
  3. Web site: "Dear Dictator" Is a Teen High School Comedy Starring Michael Caine as a…*checks notes* Murderous Strongman?. www.villagevoice.com. 14 March 2018.
  4. Web site: 2016 Black List. The Black List. 10 November 2016.
  5. Web site: Scrizzi Driscoll. Kathy. Nantucket festival announces featured films. CapeCodOnline.com. 5 May 2017.
  6. Web site: Morgan. Allyson. Five Questions With... Lisa Addario and Joe Syracuse, Writer/Directors of COUP D'ETAT. Nantucket Film Festival. 29 June 2017. 17 August 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170817003237/http://nantucketfilmfestival.org/blog/2017/6/20/five-questions-with-lisa-addario-and-joe-syracuse-writerdirectors-of-coup-detat. dead.
  7. Web site: BANG Showbiz. Michael Caine and Maisie Williams to star in Coup d'Etat. MSN.
  8. Web site: Logana. Don. New movies ready to roll in Savannah starring Katie Holmes, Michael Caine. WALB. 29 July 2016.
  9. Web site: Katie Holmes & Odeya Rush from The Big Picture. E! News.
  10. Web site: Kay. Jeremy. AFM: Fortitude International boards 'Coup D'Etat'. Screen Daily. 10 November 2016.
  11. Web site: Nyren. Erin. 'The Big Sick' to Open 2017 Nantucket Film Festival. Variety. 25 April 2017. 5 May 2017.
  12. Web site: A Look At Featured Movies At 2017 Indie Street Film Festival. New Jersey Stage. 13 July 2017. 18 July 2017.
  13. Web site: Peerless. Beth. Where It's At: The increasing number of premieres points to the arrival of Carmel Film Festival. Monterey Herald. 18 October 2017.
  14. Web site: Simple & Sassy at the Movies: 'Monumental' experiences. Napa Valley Register. 9 November 2017 . 11 November 2017.
  15. Web site: Ramos. Dino-Ray. Cinedigm Acquires Rights To High School Comedy 'Dear Dictator'. Deadline. 12 December 2017. 14 December 2017.
  16. Lawrence. Derek. Michael Caine is a dictator with a teenage pen pal in Dear Dictator trailer. Entertainment Weekly. 17 January 2018. 17 January 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180117165420/http://ew.com/movies/2018/01/17/dear-dictator-exclusive-trailer/. dead.
  17. Web site: Dear Dictator (2017). Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. .
  18. Web site: Dear Dictator Reviews . . . March 16, 2018.
  19. Web site: Lowe. Justin. 'Coup d'Etat': Film Review. The Hollywood Reporter. 21 November 2017. 23 November 2017.