The Campaign

-

The Campaign
Starring Will Ferrell, Zach Galifianakis, Jason Sudeikis, Dylan McDermott
Directed by Jay Roach

Cam Brady (Will Ferrell) is North Carolina's 14th District Congressman four terms running, and is about to win his fifth term unopposed.  This outrages the Motch brothers (Dan Aykroyd and John Lithgow), who wish to insource Chinese workers to the district so they can make a bigger profit.  So they bring on Marty Huggins (Zach Galifianakis), a mild-mannered everyman to oppose Cam's candidacy.

Soon both men realize the real nasty nature of political campaigns, as their campaign chairmen pull their strings to make their man the winner, which results in several hilarious hijinks and smear campaigns which showcase how to really win (or lose) a congressional race.

Director Jay Roach ("Meet the Parents," "Dinner for Schmucks") just recently finished his TV film "Game Change" when he took on this other highly politicized film, released smack dab in the middle of the 2012 election.  While "Game Change" was a serious look at the real presidential elections of 2008, "The Campaign" offers a more lighthearted view of how politics work in America - and unfortunately it doesn't seem far from the truth.

From baby kissing (or, in this case, baby punching) to negative ad campaigns to sexual affairs and everything (literally, everything) in-between, "The Campaign" takes the negative aspects of running for office and makes them a rip-roaring, laugh-out-loud comedy with two of today's best comedic actors.  Ferrell and Galifianakis give amazing performances, and the ensemble cast help draw out the guffaws in spades, even if most of them are highly inappropriate.  Clearly not a family movie, but one of the better comedies I've seen in awhile.

My Rating: A-

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Major Theatrical Releases May 2019

-
Image
Major Theatrical Releases May 2019 After the hype that is "Avengers: Endgame," May offers a massive collection of differing types of movies, enough to entertain everyone. Here are the major theatrical releases for May 2019. **THERE WILL BE NO SPOILERS** **DATES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE**  The Intruder May 3 Dennis Quaid goes from starring the family-friendly "A Dog's Journey" to playing a total psycho in "The Intruder."  When a young couple purchases a home from Quaid's character Charlie, they didn't realize it came with an addition - Charlie himself, who can't seem to let his old home go.  I don't expect any twists or turns in this tale, and this looks like a film better fit for Lifetime than the big screen.  Long Shot May 3 Charlize Theron stars as Charlotte Field, the current Secretary of State and who's running for President.  Seth Rogen stars as Fred Flarsky, a
Read more

Witch

-
Image
Witch Starring Russell Shaw, Ryan Spong, Sarah Alexandra Marks, Fabrizio Santino Directed by Craig Hinde & Marc Zammit Movies about witches are about a dime a dozen, and follow the same formula: typically set in a time period long ago (since now, fortunately, the stigma of witches has been lessened and the religious fervor has diminished), in a small Puritanical town, a girl is accused of witchcraft which spirals the town into a frenzy filled with suspicion, doubt, and murder until the witch is put to religious justice. While that's not necessarily a bad formula (Robert Eggers' "The VVitch" and Mario Bava's "Black Sunday" immediately come to mind), most films fall by the wayside. "Witch" is a small film that, at first glance, seems to follow the mold before completely shattering it in a second act twist that's daring, provocative, and works in a lot of levels, but could've been more pronounced if given a bigger budget. In the small
Read more

Special Review: "Midwest Sessions"

-
Image
Special Review: "Midwest Sessions" Directed by Mario Ricciardi Independent filmmaking is a fascinating concept, wherein the director and everyone involved sets out to make something unique, different, and go against the traditional status quo of what's defined as a "blockbuster." These films aren't usually seen by the masses and won't be included in the top ten highest grossing movies of all time, but they offer something those films don't: a heart and commitment by the people involved to craft something wholly distinctive that tell a story in their own way. Such is "Midwest Sessions," a local film directed by Mario Ricciardi that centers on the city of Youngstown, Ohio, and the captivating people who live there. Told in different vignettes that seem distinct and different from one another but coming together as a whole in the end, it's an engrossing film that utilizes its shoestring budget and gives great performances, decent effects a
Read more