Jon Stewart and Steve Carrell Join Forces For the Delightful Political Comedy Irresistible

 

Although it was scheduled to be released at the end of May, Irresistible will premiere at home on-demand beginning Friday, June 26th. It should prove timely, and hopefully a wake up call for those not otherwise concerned about the electoral process.

Writer director Jon Stewart ably delivers the wry story of a national Democratic operative (Steve Carrell) facing the challenge of trying to connect with rural voters, long the Republican base. Chris Cooper plays a farmer and retired colonel, and Carrell convinces the farmer to run for mayor. In a fish out of water setting, Carrell hangs around the tiny town and runs the campaign. With a flavor of Bill Murray in “Groundhog Day” and any of the Christopher Guest / Harry Shearer films, the film unspools affectionately.

Soon the Republican National Party takes notice, underwriting the incumbent’s race. The relatively friendly tension ratchets up.
A few of the small town tropes are trite (the recurring sound of dial up versus high speed wi-fi), but the warmth of the townsfolk comes through. When Cooper is thrust into a NYC fundraiser, the elite liberal mindsets are cleverly juxtaposed.
Cooper is excellent, as usual. He delivers in every film, and he was perfectly cast here. Carrell leverages the persona he has built across several characters, a bit of a control freak and a bit of a dweeb.
Director Stewart sets the right tone, which is a delicate balance. The townsfolk can’t be too backward, despite their wholesomeness.
Stewart does a great job of not only portraying the arcane elements of campaign law, but underlining the Republican strategy of lying as an expedient path to the truth.

A great film in an election year.

 

–   Preview here.

–   Starting on June 26th, available for a 48-hour rental period for $19.99.

–   Available on nearly all on-demand platforms including – Amazon, Apple, Comcast, DirecTV, Fandango, Google/YouTube, Charter/Spectrum, Verizon, Microsoft, Dish, Sony, Cox, Altice, Vudu, Frontier, and Row8. 

–   Go to WatchIrresistible.com for more info. 

 


Brad Auerbach has been a journalist and editor covering the media, entertainment, travel and technology scene for many years. He has written for Forbes, Time Out London, SPIN, Village Voice, LA Weekly and early in his career won a New York State College Journalism Award.

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