If you're asking what my favorite James Franco role, first I'd probably say his part in Milk, because come on. But my second favorite project of his is probably Franco's hilarious endorsement of Hillary Clinton, which was released by Women Vote! You wouldn't think the word "hilarious" would apply to an endorsement — even though it's just ripe for Clinton-based puns like "Hil-larious" — but Franco staged it as a parody of that Dos Equis commercial "The Most Interesting Man In The World," and it is delightful. You know the one I mean, right? That debonair gentleman stares straight into the camera, with his voiceover describing his insanely compelling life as we see shots of him in various places, ending with, "I don't always drink beer, but when I do, I prefer Dos Equis." It's a great ad, and a memorable one, as it's been running since 2006.
That makes it the perfect pick for Franco to riff off of, showing shots of Clinton throughout her impressive political career: sitting at a table with a group of men as the voiceover advises, "The smartest guy in the room... is always her;" and slamming back a shot of something, as Franco intones, "After she opens up a can of whoop-ass... she always recycles the can." He gives a wink to millennials with the quip, "Her Secret Service codename... is Hermione. Because she's a [bleep]-ing wizard," accompanied by a photo of Clinton at her graduation, and wraps it up with, "She's... the most interesting woman in the world," as Clinton gives an impassioned speech backed by a bright blue sky. Then we cut to Franco, who tells the camera, "I don't always endorse candidates, but when I do... they're extraordinary," as we pull back to reveal that the mustachioed actor has his arm around a cardboard cut-out of Clinton, and is drinking out of a "Hillary 2016" mug. Take a look.
The whole video may only be 30 seconds long, but I really do love it. Franco is so charming, the bit of parodying the Dos Equis commercial is so clever, and the editing is so spot-on that I've watched it several times in a row now. It portrays Clinton as the political force of nature that she is, with years of experience, while also injecting her with a sense of fun and energy that's contagious; you can't not smile while you watch this video. It's the kind of video that the campaign never could have put out themselves, because it's jokey and it doesn't directly address the issues, but it's exactly what I needed to see, and delivered by James Franco, it's pitch-perfect.
The endorsement is both fun and functional, in that it makes me laugh at the same time that it reassures me that Clinton is a full-fledged badass, which is exactly what you want out of an endorsement like this. Well done, James Franco. I hope you get the Oscar you deserve.
Image: Women Vote! Screenshot
