Get ready for one of the hardest-hitting and unblinkingly brave political satires to hit American screens since “Dr. Strangelove.” Definitely, director/co-writer/co-producer/star Warren Beatty’s “Bulworth” is not as brilliant as the Kubrick affair, but it’s just as fearless and at times as bitingly funny.

The centerpiece of this rambunctious burlesque which incisively mocks the takeover of our entire political and media systems by the churlish rich is Senator Bulworth (Beatty). It is 1996 and the popular politician, who once was a diehard liberal, is running for reelection. But now he and his campaign staff are only interested in raising as much filthy lucre as possible from whomever is willing to cough up some. If this means taking shekels from the insurance industry in exchange for some raise-the-health-benefit-costs law bending, so be it. Who’s going to complain? Only the disenfranchised, and they hardly ever vote.

But something’s just about to go wrong. Bulworth hasn’t eaten or slept for three days. He’s just sitting at his desk with his remote control, watching exercise programs and whatever flickers by. The man, in fact, is in the throes of a nervous breakdown. Yes, Bulworth’s not right upstairs, and he sort of knows it. But what difference does it make? He’s just hired a stranger to assassinate him within the coming day.

So with his future settled, off goes the politico to black church gatherings, Jewish movie mogul gatherings, and insurance company C.E.O lunches to make his final “Elect Me” speeches. But somehow knowing he won’t be among us much longer causes Bulworth to become unsettlingly honest. The good Senator has suddenly found himself speaking the truth about how moolah controls this country, and that everything a politician tells the public is a lie, and they want it just that way. As Bulworth gets more and more specific, especially about the injustices perpetrated against blacks in our country, he finds himself coming alive again. He suddenly wants to live. But is it too late?

To say more, other than “Bulworth” will have you gaping at its audacity when you're not laughing aloud at the nonstop sallies, would be unfair.
Mr. Beatty who has in the recent past helped us a bit to forget just how talented he is will never be able to wipe out that memory again. This is an instant classic. And if this feature, brilliantly co-written with Jeremy Pikser, becomes the box office giant and Oscar winner it deserves to be, there’s just a chance a trend might be started. Comedies with substance. Wouldn’t that be a corker?