War, Inc.

With a script (and musical numbers!) co-written by Cusack, War, Inc. is a stingingly angry, high-speed satire that expends enough ammo for two and a half movies. Much of it is shock-and-awe bombardment modeled on the motivations (as the filmmakers envision them, anyway) of the United States' 2003 invasion of Iraq -- depicted here as the actions of money-grubbing plutocrats using a mindless, docile media to spout empty slogans about "freedom" and "war on terror" while murdering, plundering, and turning a distant Arab nation into a tacky American-style outpost of burger joints and strip malls. Then there's the romance with Natalie and, on top of that, a slam against vulgar celebrity culture via the lustful, R-rated performance by erstwhile family favorite Duff. The idea is that the grotesque war and tabloid-trashy teen idols like Britney, Lindsay, and K-Fed are all exploited products of the same depraved commercialized system.

It's a wonder the screed holds together as well as it does -- though by the finale the stress shows. Even adult viewers may have trouble following along, and young viewers lured by the Duff factor are likely to be flat-out bewildered, though the MAD Magazine flavor of the satire might have some appeal. If you enjoyed Cusack's previous role as a pro assassin with hang ups in the culty dark comedy Grosse Pointe Blank and you protested President Bush, then here's catharsis for you.