With a presidential election looming and the divide in America never greater comes Irresistible, a comedy from Jon Stewart, on Blu-Ray, DVD, and digital formats. Steve Carell and Rose Byrne star as opposing political consultants who head to small-town Midwest America believing that a mayoral race holds the key to the future swing of American politics.
Carell is Gary Zimmer, the Democratic expert, who is still stung from the 2016 election that put someone other than his candidate in the White House. Byrne is Faith Brewster, the Republican Party strategist who has a deep personal history with Carell’s and doesn’t waste time celebrating her 2016 victory before diving into stop whatever it is that Zimmer is up to in Wisconsin.
At the center of it all is the candidate himself. He’s a decorated veteran whose viral video puts his name on the national map, attracting Zimmer’s attention. Chris Cooper is Jack Hastings and between him and his daughter Diana Hastings (Mackenzie Davis), they see this as a huge opportunity for their beloved hometown to capitalize on all this national attention to bring the spotlight to small-town issues needing big-time solutions.
Stewart, as a storyteller, is solid. It’s not as laugh-out-loud as one would hope from the guy who used to grace The Daily Show for years. But then again, the issues nowadays are kind of serious. Of course, this all took place pre-Covid, but other than that aspect, the issues at the center of the Stewart narrative mirror those driving voters to the polls this November.
What’s fascinating about Irresistible is that one might head in (as I did) expecting a left-leaning comedy that uses the facts about the right that permeates the news these days as ammunition to make a point about voting blue no matter who this fall. That could not be further from what the film delivers. Stewart has honestly made a middle of the road political movie that in the end, could be argued is not about choosing sides at all. Even though that is not what I wanted from Stewart, it is bigger than one side, politically. We need to come together as a nation if we have any hope at all at conquering the enormous mountain of issues that plague us.
Carell is phenomenal. He does his Steve Carell thing, but it is utterly unique in that the frustration he emits is palpable for anybody who has lived on that side of the aisle their entire life. The actor dives in and gives a performance that could have embodied a stereotype and instead is delivered as a three-dimensional soul seeking to make this country better. If it advances his career as well, so be it.
Byrne could have tackled her character as a little firecracker, but she is firmly a soul who lets her work and cleverness do the talking. That element gets under Carell’s skin and that is simply perfect for cinematic comedy. The Australian actress, with her blonde hair flowing, recalls a bit of Kellyanne Conway, but more approachable, fewer lies, and more of a realist than someone dabbling in alternative facts. Byrne and Carell have killer chemistry and even though their battlefield is a small town in dairy country, the landscape could be a metaphor to the nation at large—and that is largely due to both the leads and how they approach their roles.
Stewart as a storyteller surprised. He never had his script become preachy or pandering to one side or the other. In a way, that might have been a mistake. But, cinematically, it makes sense. After all, Republicans and Democrats both like movies—why alienate half your audience? The filmmaker’s pacing is solid, the laughs are cerebral, and he introduces himself as a moviemaking storyteller worth keeping an eye on in the future.
Taking the Lead: Jon Stewart is a terrific featurette that looks at the man behind the camera and what prompted him to write this story and undertake the sometimes thankless endeavor that is getting a film off the ground. Stewart is surprisingly candid and offers an entertaining and enlightening look at his process.
Campaign Comedy: The Cast of Irresistible shines the spotlight on the rich ensemble of Stewart’s timely comedy. It’s an overtly enjoyable bonus feature as there are laughs that are elicited, alongside the informative insight. That why it should hardly surprise that the Gag Reel is ripe with LOL moments. This set must have been a pure joy to be a part of for several months.
An Irresistible Story gives viewers the full tale behind what it took to make the movie from a myriad of angles. It’s the definitive behind-the-scenes, making-of featurette that will have folks discovering things about the film that they may never have considered. There was a lot of higher thought that went into this picture and it clearly was never meant as a slam job on one party or another—even if that had to be temping.
Film Grade: B
Bonus Features: B