RUDY! A DOCUMUSICAL

(director/writer: Jed Rothstein; cinematographer: Wolfgang Held; editors: Samuel Nalband, Michael Culyba; music: Will Bates, Billy Jay Stein, Jason Howland; cast: Bo Dietl, Al Sharpton, William J. Bratton, Andrew Kirtzman, Olivia Nuzzi, Ken Fryman; Runtime: 99; MPAA Rating: NR; producers: Ross M. Dinerstein/Sarit G. Work; Olive Hill Media/Forbes Entertainment; 2022)

“I wonder who would care to see a film about such an offensive figure.”

Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz

A conventional and unneeded biopic directed by Jed Rothstein (“The China Hustle”/”Hidden Crisis: Women & Aids”) on the once popular figure known after 9/11 as “America’s Mayor,” who has now fallen in disgrace as a repulsive figure doing illegal and crazy things as Trump’s lackey lawyer (the unfit, corrupt, impeached twice president). I wonder who would care to see a film about such an offensive figure. And to make matters worse, it takes the form of a musical blended together with a documentary–something that’s too awkwardly done to work.

Most of the film consists of archival footage and interviews with journalists like Andrew Kirtzman and Olivia Nuzzi, with his former staffers interviewed like Ken Fryman, and his main critic Al Sharpton (a figure perhaps just as controversial and bias as Rudy).

Rudy has been in the news too often for a film about him to have much impact (maybe Fox’s Hannity viewers still don’t know he’s a crazy man). But, mostly every sane person views him as an obnoxious zero character, who should be in jail for trying to bring down the country by backing a violent takeover of the WH and defending Trump’s “Big Lie” of winning the election despite proof that this is not so. There’s nothing to glean from this film that isn’t already in the news.

It premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival.

 

REVIEWED ON 10/7/2022  GRADE: D