Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.5

Irresistible Blu-ray Movie Review

Power to the people.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman September 5, 2020

Talk about campaign finance reform. Irresistible plays like a routine campaign trail Comedy until it plays the ace up its sleeve. Suffice it to say that spoiling the end would be to spoil the movie and take away meaning to its insights in any number of ways, but Writer/Director Jon Stewart (Rosewater) has certainly written a sharp little story that turns the modern political scene, and all of the baggage that comes with it, on its head. Crafty, catchy, and calling out both sides with unequal screen time but equally biting commentary, Irresistible largely lives up to its name as a joyful and twisting slice of small town life meets big politics infiltration in modern middle America.

The candidate.

Democrat consultant Gary Zimmer (Steve Carell) is, like most of his party, shocked, dismayed, distraught, even disgusted in the aftermath of the 2016 presidential election that saw Donald Trump defeat Hillary Clinton to hold the highest office in the land. Democrats need a rebranding, Gary believes, a candidate who can convince middle America and middle of the road voters to return to the blue side of the isle. He finds his man in the economically depressed Deerlaken, Wisconsin. Jack Hastings (Chris Cooper) is a retired Colonel whose impassioned speech at a local town hall meeting has gone viral and garnered him national attention. Zimmer leaves D.C. and arrives in Deerlaken as the ultimate outsider but ultimately convinces Hastings to run for mayor as a democrat against a longstanding republican incumbent. Zimmer, with the help of a dedicated campaign staff and Hastings' daughter Diana (Mackenzie Davis), molds the Colonel into a candidate. Money begins to roll in, the polls tighten, and the campaign becomes the center of a media frenzy. All of that means the Republican Party is taking notice and sends in one its top strategists, Faith Brewster (Rose Byrne), to Deerlaken to make sure the Democrats can't get a foothold in red country.

The movie's routine approach to storytelling threatens to alienate its audience, even as the media spotlight on the campaign grows increasingly brighter, and more ludicrous, with Stewart taking the opportunity to none-too-subtly lambast the media's frenzied focus on anything and everything red vs. blue. The film gains traction in its setup, loses some steam as it maneuvers through a series of mostly predictable scenes, and reinvents itself in its final minutes with a clever little twist that turns the campaign, the movie, everything on its head. The cast is up to the challenge of playing each part with perfect cadence, vital in selling the finale for all its worth. Cooper is a natural fit for the reluctant candidate, building a character who is both reserved and quiet yet believably profound when required to be. Davis, too, works magic building a character from the outside in, usually a backwards approach but vital in pushing the movie to its finish.

The movie is usually at its best when it’s dealing with the little things in which Stewart finds genuine real world humor and contrast, mostly as Zimmer attempts to integrate himself into the small Wisconsin community. When tasked with choosing the right vehicle for the job, he has to forego his usual comforts and ride in a more “plebeian” Ford Explorer. Anything to play down his roots and play up the populace. He attempts to situate a herd of cows lingering in the background of Hastings’ first press conference for dramatic effect, not because it’s just a real background in a real place behind a real man but because in politics, optics, not authenticity, matter. For Zimmer, it’s all about the image he can create, not the man or the world in which he lives or the message he shares. That makes his draw to the “authentic” Colonel Hastings something of a peculiarity and the personification of modern politics. Nothing but make-believe matters, even when promoting and selling "real." Zimmer says as much at film’s start to a gaggle of reporters in what becomes a key scene in defining the movie’s message, even if it’s more opaque then and not crystal clear until the end.

Irresistible Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Irresistible's 1080p transfer delivers a steady, capable image well within spec for a new release on Blu-ray. The picture is appropriately sharp and nicely detailed across the spectrum, from basic character and clothing details to odds and ends in campaign offices, scattered locales around town, furnishings on a private jet, and so on and so forth. Various scenes depicting fake newscasts and political adds reveal tack-sharp graphics, though the variation in video quality is evident in the switch and necessary to help differentiate the scenes. Colors are true, boasting excellent depth and contrast. Primaries are plenty punchy, and there's an awful lot of red and blue in the film to boost tonal output. Skin tones are fine and black levels fare well, usually, with a few exceptions where they fall off towards paleness and flatness (look at the 82 minute mark). Source and encode issues are practically nonexistent. Overall, this is a very nice looking presentation from Universal.

Irresistible Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Irresistible campaigns via a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. The film has little of dramatic sonic necessity. It's rather straightforward in sum, offering music spread along the front with some surround engagement, the most satisfying coming in chapter ten at a fish fry. Musical clarity is excellent and immersion is balanced. Environmental supports are well realized, out in town, inside campaign headquarters, and in a few other locales that allow for some spacious expansion. The track produces quality natural reverb at the meeting in the opening minutes introducing Chris Cooper's Jack Hastings. Low end response goes potent when heavy, mechanically aided footfall sounds are exaggerated for effect in chapter 14. Dialogue is clear and well prioritized as it emanates from a natural front-center position.

Irresistible Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Irresistible includes numerous deleted and extended scenes, a gag reel, and a few featurettes. A DVD copy of the film and a Movies Anywhere digital copy code are included with purchase. This release ships with an embossed slipcover (and thumbs down to one of the dullest box arts of the year).

• Deleted and Extended Scenes (1080p, 20:34 total runtime): Included are Gary Alone in Hotel, Diana Questions Gary, Big Mike Helps Gary, Diana and Jack on Beach, NYC Car Ride, Faces in Gary's Face, Gary Gets News Coverage, Jack and Campaign Aide, Debate Prep with Tina and Kurt, Tina Knows Baseball, Ambassador's Lounge 2, Church 1, Church 2, Diana and Faith Outside Ann's, Jack and Braun Debate, Gary Apologizes in Bed, and Diana and Jack, Election Morning.
• Gag Reel (1080p, 5:49): Humorous moments from the shoot.
• An Irresistible Story (1080p, 4:12): A discussion of the film's authenticity, its story, and the satire.
• Campaign Comedy: The Cast of Irresistible (1080p, 3:44): A quick rundown of the cast and the qualities they bring to the characters and film.
• Taking the Lead: Jon Stewart (1080p, 3:06): A look at Stewart's work as writer and director on the film.

Irresistible Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Irresistible's story ultimately whittles down to a simple truth: it's all a game. Who wins just depends on who can play it better. Or perhaps who can play it differently. It's witty and smart, a little sluggish and predictable through the middle, but a hook to open and a curveball to close make it well worth the audience's time. Universal's Blu-ray is solid all around, featuring high quality video and audio presentations and an average allotment of extra content. Recommended.