The Campaign

If anyone is going to lambast the giant game of grab-ass that is American politics, Will Ferrel is a great choice. And if one were to choose Ferrel's opposite, Zach Galifianakis is good too. And of all the comedy directors that came out of the nineties, Jay Roach is one of the best. All these ingredients coming together should make something absolutely hilarious; as biting as Thompson and as side-splitting as Anchorman. The Campaign only sort of succeeds. Cam Brady (Will Ferrel)is a seedy North Carolina congressman who will say and do anything to get reelected for his fifth term. After a sex scandal, Brady's corporate backers decide to set up local loser Marty Huggins (Zach Galifianakis) as their personal candidate. Innocent and naive Marty just wants to help the people, but a dirty campaign manager (Dylan McDermott) changes his whole world and forces Brady to start get desperate. With both sides going nuts, war is declared, things get personal, and hijinks ensue. A political comedy is a comedy that would understandably be hard to do. What with the brilliance of Jon Stewart, Colbert, South Park, and hundreds of others out there, it's gotta be hard to stand out. That's why The Campaign gave me quite a bit of hope, because the people involved are so great. And there are a lot of moments that are side-splittingly funny, but it's just that: moments. The film as a whole isn't that great. I blame this mostly on the script, which to be honest is thin on character and doesn't go far enough. As a result The Campaign isn't as focused and tight as it should be. Still, when the film is funny, it is damn funny. The best jokes in the movie are really biting satire on the whole Super-PAC corporatization of congress and its representatives from both parties, and I laughed hard. But there are just too many in between moments that aren't funny and go on way too long without progressing or developing anything. There's a message about Citizens United that's forced into the end, and I almost want to say that it doesn't go hard enough on the corporations that it sets out against. I also wish there were more analogues for real world politicians, but hey, ya can't have it all. The Campaign is a step down from Jay Roach's other political and comedic films, and Adam McKaye's writing, but it's a step up for pretty much all else. It's good to see Will Ferrel outside of dramadies and Mexico, and it also moves Zach Galifianakis from his Awkward Beard-Man persona for once. Sadly the script is underwritten and a bit of a mess, and I know it could've been better. In the end The Campaign has many great moments, but just never rises to the level it should have.