When a movie has a witty, literate script and is populated by smart characters it is a rarity. When this movie is a romantic comedy it is something like a miracle. The American President, written by recent Oscar winner Aaron Sorkin of Social Network and West Wing fame, is a movie that fits this bill and watching it is like a breath of fresh air. It stars Michael Douglas in a commanding performance as the recently widowed president who takes up with an environmental lobbyist (Annette Bening) something which his staffers frown upon in an election year. Directed by Rob Reiner, this film never ceases to be charming and funny. It's the kind of film with clever, rapid fire dialogue that I wanted to watch again to see what I may have missed. The film lies entirely on one side politically, but it is a well acted and terrifically smart and historically aware movie.
