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The Campaign

Political comedy isn't as sharp or smart as one would hope for an election year

Roe McDermott, 05 Oct 2012

Well. All the King’s Men it ain’t.

It would be easy to assume Jay Roach’s comedy was a biting satire about the ugliness of American campaign-trail politics. It turns out to be possibly the least politicised film about politics ever. With nary an ounce of wit, Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis attempt to out-mug each other with tiresome results.

Ferrell plays Cam Brady, a smug, idiotic, much-loved Congressman who has never had an opponent. When his philandering ways are revealed, the wealthy Koch – I mean – Moche Brothers (John Lithgow and Dan Aykroyd) decide to take advantage of his vulnerability. Enter oddball, effete everyman Marty Higgins (Galifianakis), groomed by a Machiavellian campaign manager (Dylan McDermott) to run against Brady.

Clocking in at a swift 85 minutes, Roach wastes no time on character development, build-up or even plot. The Campaign echoes Anchorman and Bruce Almighty in its wars-of-the-witless theme. Though a few gags work – Jason Sudeikis frantically attempting to mime The Lord’s Prayer to a clueless podium-bound Brady is a particular highlight – Roach exercises no skill in tying everything together.



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