Irresistible as a movie might look very similar to thousands of other movies that you have seen. It features a political comedy, it’s got the right actors and it seems set to be either a cinderella underdog story or just a feel-good movie even if the elections were lost. Well, there’s a twist.
This article contains spoilers so don’t read ahead if you haven’t watched the movie. I would recommend you watch it at least once.
The movie deals with the lack of diversity in the US political landscape. Legally, and technically, you can create a political party, but that is a nightmare as you lack funds, you lack the backing and creating a Super PAC is easier said than done.
Irresistible features Rose Byrne and Steve Carell, a power-couple that has suddenly taken a liking to a small town. Steve Carell spots (well, his assistant does) a promising young candidate for the Democrats and he chooses this candidate as the right opportunity for him to elect and his personal claim to glory.
The struggle of dealing with a small-town election for someone who is used to the big leagues is enthralling. But it’s not something that has never been done before. We have seen numerous movies that show the underdog winning and the underdog having a stroke of luck that lead to his mayoral candidacy victory.
Except in this movie, we have Mackenzie Davis, the candidate’s daughter that is working for the betterment of the town. At one juncture in the movie, when Steve Carell digs the dirt on the opponent, targeting the candidate’s brother, a line crossed you could say, Mackenzie Davis goes to meet the opponent candidate. The ensuing chemistry between them raises a few eyebrows, but it becomes easy to dismiss simply cause it’s ethical.
Well… that’s where you’re wrong. The whole thing is staged. I don’t mean the movie… that is staged as well. But the whole Mayoral candidacy and the election campaign are staged. The elections take place and the votes are dead-even. Yes, not one vote up or down. That means millions of dollars invested into the campaign have resulted in a victory for none.
The entire thing was staged, masterminded by Mackenzie’s character. It was an attempt to get some money for the town, which was facing bankruptcy or similar situations. The town school wouldn’t have enough money to last more than three years, there were amenities that desperately needed repairs. Where do you get money when the only time politicians look at the town is during elections?
You use the politicians, feeding off their greed and their innermost desires to extract more money from them. When Steve Carell confronts Mackenzie, a 28-year-old woman, he thought had feelings for him about this scam, her reply was thought-provoking. When politicians and businesses can use the town as they desire every four years, why can the town not seek money for its survival?
Amidst all the political drama and storylines, there is also a one-sided romantic storyline involving Steve Carell and Mackenzie Davis. Steve Carell ultimately does end up with Rose Byrn in NYC, getting more money from fundraisers and catering to the big leagues at the end of the movie. It was a fitting end to the movie that highlights the woes of the current American landscape.
There is an interview at the end of the movie, where an election official highlights how the current system is broken. It is in urgent need of changes, but changes are difficult to come by as there are multiple sources of approvals and none are forthcoming. Congress is stuck, the Supreme Court does not believe Corruption is a thing and much more.
I’m not from the United States, but a basic understanding of the political landscape made this movie really interesting for me. I will give it another view simply because I did not pay much heed in the first viewing. Halfway through the movie, I felt it was a movie very similar to the hundreds of other political comedies out there. But no, the twist at the very end (Thankfully I did pay attention then) was more than enough for me to recommend this movie. It is a must-watch, at least once which will give food for thought for anyone who has a decent understanding of the political landscape.
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