219. Irresistible; movie review

IRRESISTIBLE
Cert 15
102 mins
BBFC advice: Contains strong language, sex references

You would really need to be waist-deep in the American political scene to understand Irresistible fully.
I thought I was pretty clued up and survived until the end - unlike Mrs W who adjourned up the stairs to Bedfordshire after an hour.
However, despite being a reader of RealClearPolitics etc, its ending left me scratching my head.
Perhaps, if I had the benefit of having been a regular viewer during the run of Jon Stewart's Daily Show, it might have resonated more.
Stewart's movie stars Steve Carell as a political campaigner Gary Zimmer who is licking his wounds after the defeat of Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election.
He recognises the need for The Democrats to improve its standing in notoriously Republican farming communities of the swing states.
Zimmer sees a potentially iconic figure in a Marine veteran-turned-farmer (Chris Cooper) who speaks out in favour of immigrants at a public meeting in his home town in Wisconsin.
Consequently, the big-city political advisor drags himself to hicksville and persuades the farmer to stand for election against the town's mayor (Brent Sexton).
The reaction of the townsfolk is welcoming but bizarre as it becomes clear just how seldom they see a stranger.
However, he fails to grasp their humour and his mood darkens further when his political nemesis (Rose Byrne) turns up to even up the fight.
Stewart's film is a giant dig at the American system and its reliance on those who can exploit it and the patronage they can muster.
He throws in a bit of a sexual frisson when Carell's character has inappropriate hots for the farmer's daughter (Mackenzie Davis).
But the problem is that as good as Carell, Byrne and Cooper are, the movie requires a progressively greater insight into American politics. Otherwise, it feels akin to an extended in-joke.
Thus, when the punchline comes, it is hardly a surprise that it goes over the head of many of its audience.
Me included.

Reasons to watch; Entertaining dig at the American political system
Reasons to avoid: Needs at least rudimentary knowledge

Laughs: Three
Jumps: None
Vomit: None
Nudity: None
Overall rating: 6.5/10

Did you know? The mayor is elected to a four-year term, with a limit of two consecutive terms. The office of Mayor is officially nonpartisan by state law, although most mayoral candidates identify a party preference. Elections for mayor were held in odd-numbered years from 1909 until 2017.

The final word. Jon Stewart: "I realised that there was a real hole in the marketplace; that nobody had done an R-rated, raunchy campaign finance reform movie. So I thought I could fill that. I could jump in on that." Screen Rant

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