Pop wannabes jostle for stardom in this messy and contrived satire from Paul Weitz. Hugh Grant reteams with his About a Boy director to play the smarmy Martin Tweed, host of TV talent show American Dreamz. Sadly, Weitz's script isn't half as sharp as Tweed's tongue, and it's difficult to equate this heavy-handed farce with the same film-maker behind the acutely observed In Good Company. Dennis Quaid - a triumph in that film - is wasted here as a US president who hardly knows where the Middle East is, let alone how to bring peace to it. Anyway, he's too busy guest judging on America's most popular TV show. There are funny moments, with Willem Dafoe wickedly dry as the White House Chief of Staff, but the gags are too often unsubtle - especially those concerning Arab characters. Ultimately, this satire is just as shallow as the celebrity-obsessed culture it lampoons.

The new season of "American Dreamz," the wildly popular television singing contest, has captured the country's attention, as the competition looks to be between a young Midwestern gal and a showtunes-loving young man from Orange County. Recently awakened President Staton even wants in on the craze, as he signs up for the potential explosive season finale.