I had very little doubt that The Campaign would be a funny film. What I didn’t expect was the sad commentary that came from it. Much like Idiocracy, the overboard attempt to portray a completely unimaginable world hits too close to home. With that said, are we simply watching films for entertainment, or are we being subconsciously fucked with.
The Campaign follows the congressional campaign for North Carolina’s 14th District. While politics are clearly being used as a tool for humor, the focus on cop orate backing is all too real. The incumbent Cam Brady (Will Ferrell) is coasting to a victory unopposed and in the back pocket of the Motch brothers (John Lithgow and Dan Aykroyd), and then he makes use of a port-a-potty to demonstrate his ability to connect with his constituents. And by connect I mean sex and constituents I mean hot blonde. His violability is challenged and the Motch brothers look for a new puppet. That puppet is Marty Huggins (Zach Galifianakis), a family man with Daddy issues. The campaign becomes nasty and low and behold, the truth becomes the best weapon.
Look, the plot is what it is and the film plays on the humor is each candidate outdoing the other in the nastiest possible ways. Take Cam’s turn once he finds out that Marty has Cam’s son call him dad. These are words to live by, “you get my son to call you daddy, I fuck your wife.” But those are the depths desperate men will dive when face with losing your identity and losing lifelong dreams. Ferrell and Galifianakis work well together, playing off the no holds barred attitudes. One minor problem though, it’s hard to get beyond thinking Ferrell is once again channeling his George W. Bush impersonation. I wonder if the filmmakers went, hey let’s make him a Democrat, that will fool everyone. It is lucky that his impersonation works so well, otherwise it could have damaged the film. My shining star though is not one of these two, it’s Tim Wattley (Dylan McDermott), the hired gun brought in by the Motch brothers to make Marty win. His turn as a slimy political stylist is brilliant.
Perhaps it is the current political climate or perhaps I had one too many beers watching this (I didn’t though), but I couldn’t help being drawn in. While I was laughing at all the ridiculous backstabbery, I was also sad that I could easily see current candidates going to such extremes. In fact, some of the stunts seemed to be pulled right out of the headlines. I would never consider this film a documentary, but it is so filled with realities that you have hard time not having a few yeah that’s what’s happening moments. I am by no means a political savant, but this film really touched a nerve.
The Campaign serves as a satire, plain and simple. The commentary is dead on and provides a viewer with moments that speak more truth than any piece of non-fiction. The film is funny, but I can see why some people did not enjoy it. Essentially, everyone’s political views are bashed a bit. So come for the humor, but stay for the insight.
