Running with Arnold

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is either a shining testament to the American Dream, or a prime example of how big-money success corrupts the soul. History, perhaps, will regard him as both. Still, even the most die-hard leftie may cringe at this amateurish and wincingly shrill exposé by entertainment-journalist-turned-filmmaker Dan Cox. The 72-minute Running with Arnold is narrated by actor Alec Baldwin, who reportedly recorded his voice-over without having first seen the film (oops), then tried to have it removed after finally catching a screening. The actor was understandably dismayed by Cox's bricks-and-bat approach, which includes juxtaposing Arnold's photo with that of famous fascists (Adolf Hitler among them). It's a shame that Cox resorts to such Rove-style foolishness. Schwarzenegger's governorship alone contains so much flip-flopping and so many questionable donations and conflict of interest that an even-handed summary of the facts might have raised eyebrows even among the devoted. Instead, Cox and his onscreen experts — a group top-heavy with unknown comics — veer off into dire warnings of a constitutional coup that will place the Governator and his evil Republican backers in the White House. Although such a thing certainly seems possible in this whacked-out country of ours, foaming at the mouth rarely saves the republic.