Satirical show RIAot was cancelled because it wasn't funny. It happened to not be funny about Burlusconi. Many if not all those who engineered its cancellation were allegedly affiliated in some way to Mr B. They clearly had no conflict of interest because their primary concern was the fact that satire could be libellous. Then they endlessly discussed exactly what satire was.
They also said that no one wanted to watch such a cruel show. People so didn't want to see it that thousands gathered outside the theatre when they couldn't get in to see the stage version specially put on by the comedian behind the show.
Viva Zapatero! paints a frightening picture of a European country apparently run by a man who wants to act the media mogul dictator, aided and abetted by an apparently ineffective and quite possibly corrupt opposition. It's a documentary that details the easy slide into misuse of power, and the bizarre Orwellian world of doublespeak and fear that naturally arises to explain and support the inevitable curtailments of freedom. It's a world like something out of Pinter - language used as weapon: everyone knows what is being said is not what is really being said; everyone knows the consequences of ignoring what is not being said. Those who point out the obvious find they no longer have a job, and/or are suddenly in the middle of a massive lawsuit.
The subject of the film is fascinating, disturbing, and bleakly funny. Unfortunately, the film itself is rather amateurish: repetitive and lacking real narrative coherence. Rather than having a clear argument, it is a collection of interesting and sometimes not so interesting points, assembled in a rough and ready fashion. This serves to undermine its argument and cast doubt on the authenticity of its depiction of Burlusconiland.
It also doesn't help that the excepts from RIAot suggest the satire is not particularly funny: simplistic sketches with lots and lots of canned laughter.
This film is still worth watching - but wait till it comes on TV.
[IMDB link: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0482633/ ]
