Irresistible: Jon Stewart Hilariously Examines The Flaws In Modern Political Campaigning
Irresistible marks the second directorial feature from comedian Jon Stewart, who also wrote the script and produced the film with Lila Yacoub and Plan B Entertainment’s Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner. This political satire lampoons the democratic system and pits Steve Carell against Rose Byrne in a frequently entertaining campaign battle.
Irresistible is a comedy about what happens when a small Wisconsin town becomes the main attraction of our political circus. After the Democrat's top strategist Gary (Steve Carell) sees a video of a retired Marine Colonel (Chris Cooper) standing up for the rights of his town's undocumented workers, Gary believes he has found the key to winning back the Heartland. However, when the Republicans counter him by sending in his brilliant nemesis Faith (Rose Byrne), what started out as a local race quickly becomes an out-of-control and hilarious fight for the soul of America.
Donald J. Trump’s upset victory over Hillary Rodham Clinton in the 2016 presidential election shook America and left more than half of its population stunned. The Democratic system had been broken long before Trump ever entered office, but his against-all-odds win set U.S. politics into a tailspin full of blatant lies and claims of “fake news.” Although it can be increasingly difficult to do so as we grow nearer and nearer to the possibility of another four years under Trump’s regime, the least we can do in these strange and turbulent times is laugh. Fortunately, political satirist and comedic mastermind Jon Stewart is here to help!
With Irresistible, Stewart reteams with ex-Daily Show correspondent pal Steve Carell to make a welcome return to his silly comedic roots, following the heavy seriousness of his debut, Rosewater. The film is set in the wake of Trump’s surprising 2016 upset, with Carell’s Gary Zimmer and Byrne’s Faith Brewster functioning as Robby Mook and Kellyanne Conway esque caricatures. Gary and Faith’s fierce political strategist rivalry is taken to hilarious new extremes after Gary sees a viral video of a retired Marine Colonel, played pitch-perfectly by Chris Cooper, standing up for the migrant workers in his small, rural Wisconsin town. However, as things balloon more and more to the point of absurdity, what Gary sees as a way to reclaim the Heartland for the Democratic party isn’t quite as it seems.
Stewart’s primary focus here is on political campaigning and the amount of money it takes in order to get someone elected in a heated race. Specifically, he’s interested in how the media and political parties raise and spend this money, and why it is that the American people have just kind of blindly accepted this. By examining who really benefits from these campaigns, Stewart’s able to create some truly laugh-out-loud funny gags, while also posing some very serious, pointed questions for the viewer to mull over. This may be problematic for some, as Stewart mostly lampoons these flaws without really offering an alternative solution. Furthermore, the film’s narrative hinges on a twist that doesn’t feel organic at first blush and may not land with all viewers.
As far as political leanings go, Irresistible feels pretty neutral. While its central protagonist is a Democratic political strategist, Steward does an excellent job of making a mockery of both sides; there are just as many humorous scenes built around the liberal leanings of Carell’s character, just as there are scenes built around Byrne’s stereotypical conservative demeanor. Best of all, there’s a lot of really great gags designed around physical humor which allows the cast to create exaggerated characters and squeeze the humor out of every scenario. Irresistible’s physicality allows Carell to shine at the forefront, but Byrne also goes to some pretty hilarious places (some of which can be glimpsed in the trailer).
Overall, Irresistible may be silly at its center, but it raises some serious questions that the normal American ought to consider when it comes to who really benefits from these elections. The film isn’t necessarily interested in solving large systemic problems, but it can absolutely be counted on for a laugh. Even if you’re a bit let down by where it goes in its third act, the film creates an entertaining ride full of quirk and cleverness and finds a hilarious note in which to make its exit.
Recommendation: If you’re a fan of zany political comedies, or the work of Steve Carell or Jon Stewart, you should definitely give this one a watch.
Rating: 3 twist offs outta 5.
What do you think? We want to know. Share your thoughts and feelings in the comments section below, and as always, remember to viddy well!