Movie review: The Campaign (2012)

When congressman Cam Brady (Will Ferrel) decides to run for his fifth term, Marty Huggins, (Zach Galifianakis) an oddly naive North Carolina citizen who runs a downtown tourism ferry-bus, decides to oppose Brady after receiving the encouragement and help of the Motch brothers; a corporate master-mind behind the election outcomes who provide a million dollar contribution to the campaign as well as elite training in mudslinging, fist-fighting, and fiercely sabotaging the opposition. The film satirically depicts small town republican rivalry as a quest to prove which candidate holds the upper ground in the matters of patriotism, family values, Jesus-loving, and military support; these being a front for the implementation of the corporate agenda that the Motch puppeteers wish to enact. Perhaps the funniest part of the film is it’s satirical social criticism of American democracy where no matter which candidate wins, the people still lose since big money interests are perpetuated regardless of which candidate the people prefer. “When you’ve got the money, nothing’s unpredictable,” insists Glenn Motch.As expected when Zach Galifianakis plays a leading role, there’s plenty of eccentrically awkward humor and bizarre stream of consciousness monologues. Zach Galifianakis fans won’t be disappointed. While the clash of these two top comedians creates many hilarious moments, the unremarkable storyline and the push for a Hollywood cliche ending causes the film to implode in the latter part. The satirical realism is traded for a ungrounded and dubiously bright ending when congressman Brady admits to his failures as a politician after having a life-changing epiphany over a childhood memory in seconds prior to a speech. Heartwarming, maybe, but the predictable ending arguably sinks the film. Director: Jay RoachWriters: Chris Henchy (screenplay), Shawn Harwell (screenplay)Stars: Will Ferrell, Zach Galifianakis and Jason Sudeikis.

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Movie review: The Campaign (2012)