The Campaign (FILM REVIEW)
The Campaign
Film Review
by Kam Williams
Ferrell and Galifianakis Square-Off
as Funniest Candidates Money Can Buy
If you’ve been looking for a
laugh-a-minute comedy as a refreshing alternative to all the kiddie flicks and bombastic
summer blockbusters currently at the megaplexes, your wait is over. And what
could be more timely than a picture about the dirty tricks being employed
during a cutthroat political campaign?
The
Campaign was directed by Jay Roach, a proven master of the comedy genre, a
brainiac best known for making Meet the Parents and the Austin Powers trilogy. The
movie stars Will Ferrell as Cam Brady, a popular North Carolina Congressman who’s
running unopposed for his fifth term in office until an Anthony Weiner-level
peccadillo becomes public knowledge.
That
boneheaded blunder opens the door for a nerdy, unworthy opponent like Marty
Higgins (Zach Galifianakis) to enter the race because he’s being bankrolled by
a couple of very wealthy businessman. Glen (John Lithgow) and Wade Motch (Dan
Aykroyd) are sleazy, power-hungry siblings ostensibly patterned after the
billionaire Koch brothers, notorious backers of arch-conservative causes.
Bragging
about being “candidate creators” more than “job creators,” the Motches
specifically seize on naïve Marty since he’s so malleable. Unseen behind the
scenes, they orchestrate a complete overhaul of Higgins’ image with the help of
a no-nonsense campaign manager (Dylan McDermott).
Soon,
Brady realizes he’s in the fight of his life, as both sides resort to increasingly-devious
tactics to prevail on Election Day. For instance, we find Marty wearing what he
calls a “Yamaha” on his head during services at a synagogue, while Cam sings in
the gospel choir of a black Baptist
Church and plays with rattlesnakes
to curry favor with the congregation of a sect of serpent-handling evangelists.
But
despite his best efforts, Brady continues to sabotage his own campaign at every
turn, whether by accidentally punching a baby and a puppy, or by being caught
having sex with a supporter in a port-o-john. And as the polls indicate that
the tide is turning decisively in Marty’s favor, the focus becomes whether
he’ll be a tool of the Motch brothers or choose to do what’s best for his
district.
Will
Ferrell’s over-the-top approach to Cam serves
as the perfect counterpoint to Zach Galifianakis’ relatively-subdued interpretation
of sweet-natured Marty. The film also features several inspired support
performances, most notably, Dylan McDermott and Jason Sudeikis as devious
campaign managers and Karen Maruyama as an ebonics-accented Asian housekeeper.
Throw
in amusing cameos by a neverending string of political pundits like Bill Maher,
Wolf Blitzer, Chris Matthews, Piers Morgan, Joe Scarborough, Lawrence
O’Donnell, Willie Geist, Mika Brezinski, Ed Schultz and Dennis Miller, and
you’ve got all the makings for a bona fide election year hit. Ferrell and Galifianakis hit their stride as the funniest candidates money can buy!
Excellent (3.5 stars)
Rated R for profanity, sexuality, nudity and crude humor.
Running time: 97 minutes
Distributor: Warner
Brothers
To see a trailer for The Campaign, visit:
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