Shot by Barry Levinson in a mere 29 days, this satire on the media and politics is a joy from start to finish. Just before an election, the US President is accused of molesting a teenage girl in the Oval Office. Keen to divert interest away from the scandal, he orders his spin doctors to come up with something quickly. In consultation with a Hollywood producer, they invent a war against Albania. Of course, it's pure fiction - things like that don't happen in real life, do they? Yet, Wag the Dog suddenly found itself mentioned every night on the news as an embattled President Clinton tackled the Kosovo crisis and embarrassing questions about Monica Lewinsky. Robert De Niro is creepily effective as the tweedy, faceless spin doctor hired by White House aide Anne Heche, but best of all is Dustin Hoffman, who gives a hilarious performance as the tanned Hollywood mogul.

During the final weeks of a presidential race, the President is accused of sexual misconduct. To distract the public until the election, the President's adviser hires a Hollywood producer to help him stage a fake war.