The Campaign tells the story of Congressman Cam Brady, a lecherous, womanising, hypocrite of a man. He has to come to the end of his fourth term and is ready to run for his fifth as the only candidate. But in the lead up to the campaign, he makes an epic drunken mistake that forces two powerful lobbyists to pull their support.
Instead, the Motch brothers bring in a fresh candidate to take the seat and stabilize their control. Marty Huggins is their new man, son of a political powerhouse Raymond Huggins. Marty and Cam are polar opposites, but things get crazy as they push for power.
Now, I have to say that for a political satire this movie does not really give anything fresh. However, I can't help but feel that the writers could see into the future. So the sheer absurdity of this film made it seem a simplistic comedy.
The Campaign is the eighth film to come from Gary Sanchez Productions. Forged from the friendship between Will Ferrell and Adam McKay. Sanchez Productions has a long list of films like Anchorman 2 that star Ferrell. But are also co-written by Ferrell and McKay who also directs.
It's fair to say that generally, you know what you are going to get from these movies. Many of their films cast familiar faces. However, the casting in The Campaign looks to both new and old faces resulting in some unexpected performances.
Will Ferrell is his usual outrageous self, leaping from one unbelievable gaff to the next. His character Cam Brady is so unbelievably offensive and he pulls it off brilliantly. Cast as the Motch brothers are John Lithgow and Dan Aykroyd. The naming is too close to the Koch brothers for it not to be based on them, but they are great.
But it is the brilliant Zach Galifianakis (Missing Link) playing Marty Huggins, who adds something completely different to the film in a way that only he can.
For me, this film does not quite reach the real laugh out loud moments of the Anchorman films. But there are some quality moments, Cam Brady accidentally punching a baby and a dog full-on in the face is up there. Being, bitten by multiple rattlesnakes in a bid to prove his devotion to Christianity is another.
All in all, as with all the McKay/Ferrell movies this is no Oscar candidate. But it is a whole heap of fun and is just the sort of film that certainly shines a multicoloured light on where politics has gone today.
