The Campaign [2012]
In Theaters: Aug 10, 2012 Wide
Rated R for profanity, sexuality, nudity and crude humor.
Running time: 97 minutes
Distributor: Warner Brothers
Comedy
Directed By: Jay Roach
Reviewed by Kam Williams on
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!
The Campaign Movie Trailer (2012)
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