" He just punched a baby "

The Campaign

Congressman Cam Brady (Will Ferrell) has run unopposed in his North Carolina district for eight years but he is forced to fight for his candidacy   when local tourism director Mary Huggins (Zach Galifianakis) joins the race. Huggins is supported by two corrupt, wealthy CEOs played by John Lithgow and Dan Aykroyd. Brady soon realises he has a fight on his hands due to the support Huggins is receiving from his wealthy contributors and ruthless campaign manager (Dylan McDermott). As the election quickly approaches the pair resort to dirty tactics with their campaign turning into a hotly disputed contest.

There is no doubt that this should have been a funny film, the premise seemed simple enough to execute but like any election things don't always go smoothly. Unfortunately the writers of this film decided to create two unlikeable characters that are so over the top in their mannerisms and eccentricity that you are unable to relate to them or even enjoy watching their antics on screen. This could have been a really clever film but instead the writers and director chose to talk about dicks and balls over and over again in an attempt to shock the audience into laughter. There are glimpses of quality comedy such as dealing with Brady punching a baby accidently, however those moments are far and few. The film chooses to move away from the politics and instead focus on the annoying characters of Brady and Huggins. In terms of who has the strangest obsession, most outlandish family or 'loving' wife it's hard to  pick a winner

Will Ferrell is an interesting actor in the fact that his films are extremely popular by many whilst at the same time despised by many. The most interesting thing is that although alot of his films are bad they somehow make their way into popular culture. His quotes and antics become that of legend constantly relived by fans yet at the time when you watch the film they don't appear to be funny at all. I like some of Ferrell's movies but to me he is still a 50/50 actor in that you never quite know what your going to get.

It's not that Ferrell of Galifianakis deliver poor performances in this film it's just that they had very little to work with. Galifianakis is not surprisingly made out to be an eccentric yet at the same time 'loveable' loser, the only problem is Galifianakis has played that character countless times before. The performance of Ferrell comes across as lazy as most of the time he is simply shouting out insults that are neither witty or funny. I think both Ferrell and Galifianakis can be really funny actors that on rare occasion can deliver a strong dramatic performance (Everything Must Go, It's Kind of a Funny Story). However I think they are both more suited to playing the supportive character which they has proven very successful in the past with both of them often stealing the film with their scenes.

I think that the premise for the film would have been received more favourably it it was a 10 minute skit on Saturday Night Live, as that was about the time it took for the joke to run its course. Director Jay Roach has made some interesting films including the popular Austin Powers series and Meet The Parents. Throughout his films he has established himself as the king of elaborate events where a character finds himself stuck in a series of situations going from bad to worse before the inevitable resolution. He has achieved this format successfully with the situations often being very funny and relatable despite their exaggerated nature. The Campaign is begging for some of that past charm and wit, but instead we are left with accusations of terrorism, petty attempts at backstabbing and a series of escalating scandals that are both repetitive and unoriginal.

The Campaign is one of those films where the only funny lines or scenes were in the trailer, there are some rare hints of the political comedy that it could have been, but in the end I was left feeling disappointed. Politics as a topic for comedy should be a gold mine for witty and satirical humour but unfortunately in this film we are left with crass, tiresome one-liners.