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Seeing "Game Change" (2012) now makes it seem not just the cautionary peak at the averted potential disaster that putting an populist ignoramus in a position of power could have wrought but it seems disturbingly prescient of the current political landscape. It seems that we charged headlong into the very fray that we as a people failed to see then as throngs overlooked the ignorance of Palin and chanted her name in support. Equally, we were swindled by the ego, the superficial appearance, and the front of someone who is "on the level" with the average American. History does repeat itself, indeed.
All politics aside, "Game Change" remains as riveting an insight into the behind the scenes scramble to keep the McCain campaign afloat in the "Year of Obama". This thankless task is given to the hands of Steve Schmidt (wonderfully played by Woody Harrelson) and his cronies who expedite the process and pick a personable but ill-equipped Sarah Palin (Julianne Moore). The rest is history, as they say.
The film never plumbs the depths of becoming muckracking propaganda, much like McCain (Ed Harris) didn't want his campaign to. Instead, it gives you a fair and relatively unbiased look at the problematic juggling the campaign managers had to undertake with the woman that practically swept the campaign from low numbers to new heights then dropped them into the lap of defeat. Keeping events in the point of vision of people that wanted nothing more than for their party to win really helps keep the film balanced.
McCain, is kept as the man of integrity and reason he mostly comes off of despite his rough exterior. The direction is straightforward but crisp as is the pace which is helped along by a stellar supporting cast. This, like the campaign, is Palin's show however and we are allowed to see her as the people around her did, warts and all. Palin is both played as salt of the earth affable and downright stubborn to an infuriating fault and an excellent job is done to show the complexities of office that she was clearly not ready to take on.
Seeing "Game Change" (2012) now makes it seem not just the cautionary peak at the averted potential disaster that putting an populist ignoramus in a position of power could have wrought but it seems disturbingly prescient to the current political landscape. It seems that we charged headlong into the very fray that we as a people failed to see then as throngs overlooked the ignorance of Plain and chanted her name in support. Equally, we were swindled by the ego, the superficial appearance, and the front of someone who is "on the level" with the average American. History does repeat itself, indeed.
