Movie Review— Steve Carell and a Clever Ending Mostly Saves ‘Irresistible’ from Being Forgettable
Political comedies tend to speak to the moment, and then fade into obscurity. Maybe they deliver a few laughs, say a few things about the corrupt workings of politics, and are forgotten soon after. At first glance, Irresistible seems no different. Everything is set up quickly: politics is corrupt; our two-party system is broken; the media is a circus. Rinse and repeat. But, Irresistible’s clever ending and Steve Carell’s nuanced performance takes it up a few notches and makes you think a bit more about various aspects of our political economy.
Irresistible is pretty straight-forward. Hot off the results of the 2016 election, a heavy-weight Democratic strategist from DC (Steve Carell) is sent a YouTube video of a man giving a passioned speech in the Heartland, USA. Inspired, he believes this man should run for mayor in his hometown. What ensues is a massive battle between Democrats and Republicans, pumping more money into the campaign, and making it a huge national election.
In a way, this is the closest we’ll ever get to The Daily Show movie. John Stewart clearly knows a lot about partisan bickering, considering he made fun of it for years on his show. Irresistible, then, feels a lot like a last hurrah into this realm, not to mention an outlet to continue mocking the two-party system, for John Stewart. And he tackles it with a gifted hand.
But, the topic and the first and the second act, feels tired. We’ve seen this kind of political comedy before in other movies like The Campaign or TV shows like Parks and Recreation (I’d argue Parks and Rec has done probably the best job of it, but that’s another article for another day). It struggles to argue for your attention because it’s been done before and we see it all the time. I couldn’t help myself keep asking, why do I want to watch this?
Well, Steve Carell, for one. I can’t imagine the lead role going to anyone else but him. I tried thinking of another comedian taking it on and it was tough; Carell excels in roles where you’re supposed to hate the character but somehow love him anyway. Carell’s character, Gary, is nuanced, and Carell delivers on that, providing honest, sweet, funny, and totally brutal moments. As the story progresses, the election process turns Carell’s character into a total monster and reveals him for who he truly is, but by then, I was somehow okay with it.
As a side, Rose Byrne’s character is a sad, one-note parody antagonist; she deserves better. I hate her character more for the bad writing, but Rose Byrne still takes it and runs with it like a pro. And, I have to admit, watching Steve Carell and Rose Byrne hate each other is pretty fun.
Then there’s the writing. Most of the first and second act’s writing is by the numbers and maybe even a little timid. There are times when it feels like John Stewart is holding back on the comedy. Some scenes provide a few chuckles here and there, but it’s only enough to keep you interested and not exactly invested.
The ending, though, makes the whole movie. And sometimes, that’s all you really need to turn a dud into a stud. John Stewart does that here. The ending is surprising, does a great job turning the tables, and reinforces the rest of the story; everything you’d want in an ending. Unfortunately, explaining the ending would be a huge spoiler and ruin the experience, so you’ll have to just watch the movie yourself. But, I’d argue it elevates the movie just enough to be worth the watch.
Irresistible isn’t a laugh-out-loud comedy and the topic it tries to tackle has been done before, and sometimes by better hands. Some of the political backbiting might chafe you a bit and the story might seem a bit boring, but Steve Carell is a good, and sometimes funny, guide to the end. And the end is a sweet reward after trudging through the mire.
Rating: 3 ½ out of 5
