There is no doubt that the current state of things here in America is more unstable than it has ever been before. In these uncertain and unsettling times, it is essential to have entertainment that relieves us of our stress while providing an important reminder of how to make things better in our own way. Because even though it may not feel like it most of the time, your voice has weight and value that can have a positive ripple effect. Also, the best way to bring about change is to embody it. Take the time to occasionally step back and reevaluate your position on something. This is precisely what today's movie, Irresistible, accomplishes with flying colors. An intelligent and timely comedy with an important message about an overlooked flaw in our society that must be addressed. Even better, it is delivered with incredible wit and charm, the likes of which can only come from the former host of The Daily Show, Jon Stewart.
The story follows a political consultant named Gary Zimmer (Steve Carell), who is looking for his next prominent political candidate to add to his repertoire. He stumbles upon a retired Marine Cornel turned Farmer named Jack Hastings (Chris Cooper) from a viral video of him storming the local town meeting. He takes a somewhat democratic stance against terrible economic movement from the Mayor, despite being in a conservative mid-western small town. This convinces Gary that he has found a rare contender for the democratic party and decides to persuade Jack to run for Mayor. Jack agrees, under the condition that Gary manages the campaign himself and within the town limits. Things seem to be moving along at a steady and straightforward pace until one of Gary's long time rivals, Faith Brewster (Rose Byrne), comes town representing the republican candidate. Now, the game is on, as both competitors work their magic raising millions of dollars for their respective campaigns and playing the stressful (and occasionally scary) game of political gain.
This sounds like a standard running-for-office comedy, not all that dissimilar to films like Primary Colors or Wag The Dog. Just like those movies, Irresistible has a great deal of entertainment value as well as commentary on how we vote for people, which is still an ugly reality to this day. However, without spoiling anything, what sets this film apart is how it directs its commentary. The film raises awareness of a genuinely serious problem with the political system that no one seems to bring up. It's what I like to call a much-needed-swift-kick-in-the-ass. We all need one from time to time.
This is another one of those rare cases where the less I say about the movie here on my blog, the better of an experience it will be for you. At the time of this writing, Irresistible is available to rent on most platforms...for $20. I admit that is a steep price for a rental, but to be fair, it is roughly the same price for a night at the movie theaters for two. Also, while I would typically not endorse spending too much for a rental, in this particular case, it is well worth your money. However you can see this film, I encourage you to do so as quickly as possible.
Ladies & gentlemen, I am TheNorm, thank you all for reading.
Have a Happy 4th of July
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