John Cusack is getting a little wacky, starring in the international screwball comedy Dictablanda (meaning ‘Soft Dictator’), which comes with the tagline “People don’t die, they get killed.” Directed by Alejandro Agresti, an Argentinian director who most recently gave us The Lake House, the film starts shooting this month through April in Buenos Aires and Mar de Ajo, Argentina.
The script is written by Cusack, entertainment attorney Kevin Morris (more on that in a minute), Paul Hipp and Agresti as well.
Morris, the lawyer, is also Cusack’s partner in New Crime, the actor’s new production banner. Pablo Bossi is also producing through his Pampa Films. [Variety]
This doesn’t sound too far off from Cusack’s recent passion poly-satire War Inc., which came and went with not so much as a whimper. That said, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Screwball’s been stigmatized these days as archaic, and while there is some proof to the point (War Inc., Leatherheads), it’s too fun a sub-genre to give up on out and out.
If anyone is going to revive it, it’s Cusack, who made a career for himself partly through the Savage Steve Holland films (Better Off Dead…, One Crazy Summer) of the 80s.
What do you think of Cusack? Is he still a viable leading man?