The Campaign

CAST:  Zach Galifianakis, Will Ferrell, Jason Sudeikis, Katherine LaNasa, Dylan McDermott, John Lithgow, Dan Aykroyd, Brian Cox. SCREENPLAY: Chris Henchy, Shawn Harwell STORY:  Adam McKay, Chris Henchy, Shawn Harwell MUSIC: Theodore Shapiro  PRODUCER: Jay Roach, Adam mckay, Will Ferrell  CINEMATOGRAPHY: Jim Denault EDITING:  Craig Alpert Studio, Gary Sanchez Productions, Everyman Pictures DISTRIBUTOR Warner Bros. Pictures RUNNING TIME: 85 minutes LOCATION: United States LANGUAGE: English

Technical:  3

Moral:  2.5

CINEMA rating:  V18

Incumbent Cam Brady (Will Ferrell) is running as North Carolina congressman for the nth time.  With his formula “America, Jesus, Freedom”, he is confident he will win, not only because he is actually running unopposed, but also because he is determined to squash would be opponents the dirty way.  But he is exposed when he picks up the phone and leaves an amorous and obscene message to his mistress, unaware he has dialed a wrong number.  The number is that of an ultra-pious Christian family, then having dinner with the children when his XXX-rated message is recorded in the answering machine.  The parents, of course, are horrified, and a scandal is born.  Brady’s campaign manager (Jason Sudeikis) tries to straighten things up but billionaire business honchos who decide the fate of politicians behind the scene, the Moch Brothers (Dan Aykroyd and John Lithgow) withdraw their support of Brady and back another candidate, Marty Huggins (Zach Galifianakis), the wimpy director of the local tourist center.

The Campaign is dyed-in-the-wool satire, mimicking real life’s electoral processes.  Director Jay Roach does a snappy, never-a-ho-hum-moment critique of America’s political scenario, propped and spiced by the all-too-familiar fare: the image-bashing videos, mudslinging, cut-and-dried speeches, babies to hug and kiss, tyrannical campaign managers, power brokers, the pet dogs, the works.  Roach so exaggerates the obvious that some viewers will probably cringe at the unexpectedly vulgar footages—but, just like in love and war, all is fair in the spoof kingdom, especially when the target of the darts is politicians.  The sets, wardrobe, music, cinematography, and the minimal CGI (the punch landing on the baby’s face can’t be real!) all combine to create a movie that will leave the adult audience hooting and cackling the whole time.  Special mention goes to the two leads, Galifianakis and Ferrell, doing parts quite a distance from their usual roles.

If there’s one worthwhile thing about spoofs, it’s their educational value.  Like The Campaign, which is a sharp satire about elections in a country supposed to be a world power.  Movies like this do not educate you outright, but they tease and tickle, prick and prod, until the responsive viewer takes a long hard look at the truths they veil in hyperbole and laughter.  Beneath the comedy mask worn by The Campaign, is the face—the face covered with grime, blood and maggots—of politics.  Coming out of the theater, a youth, not yet of voting age, asks his elder companion, “How can the world be a better place when those who want to have the power to change it play dirty themselves?”  Well, my boy, that is politics.