Michael Douglas trades in the dark characters he's been playing lately to strike a presidential pose in Rob Reiner's new romantic comedy "The American President." And it's nice to see him looking dapper and content instead of brooding and troubled.

Douglas makes for a Clintonesque president, youngish, humorous, idealistic, with a Pepsodent smile and a winning handshake. He's also a widower with a young daughter, and he's been president long enough that he's forgotten how to do anything for himself.That is revealed more and more as the film progresses, a conceit that provides the film's best comedy after Douglas meets and becomes enchanted with an environmental lobbyist (Annette Bening), who is also witty and bright. And as the president falls in love, he comes to realize it's been too many years since he has wooed a woman. Add that to the pampering received by the leader of the free world, and you have a delightful screwball formula about the comic disadvantages of dating while lodged in the White House.

Both Douglas and Bening turn on their charm and intelligence full bore, and it makes their skimpily drawn characters most appealing. Since we care so much about them, we naturally care about the movie. But you may wish that the screwball elements were given a harder push, so that what's amusing might have been truly hilarious, which might also prevent a few deadly serious moments from dominating the proceedings. (Think "Dave.")

The real emphasis here is on romance, and like many of Reiner's other directing efforts ("A Few Good Men," "Misery," "When Harry Met Sally . . ."), "The American President" is cool, collected and very slick, as only Hollywood movies can be.

Fortunately, the film is also peppered with terrific performances from a bevy of familiar faces, mouthing the clever dialogue of screenwriter Aaron Sorkin ("A Few Good Men"), so that despite the film's propensity to spout liberal politics at every turn, it's winning enough to get away with it.

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Smart and practical Martin Sheen, whiney Michael J. Fox, stressed-out David Paymer, got-it-together Anna Deveare Smith and down-to-earth Samantha Mathis are the president's ever-present aides, while Richard Dreyfuss relishes his unbilled performance as the nasty senator out to sabotage the president's re-election campaign. (He refers to Bening's character as "The First Mistress.")

They're all terrific, but the film really belongs to its stars, and both Douglas and Bening are more than up to the task.

And won't it be nice if it becomes a box-office hit, as most of Reiner's movies do, and gives Bening that boost to stardom she has deserved for some time now.

"The American President" is rated PG-13 for some profanity and a few vulgar remarks. (Though there is no sex or nudity, Douglas and Bening do spend the night together on their first date . . . as only Hollywood would have it.)

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