This is like taking a saccharine-infused schmaltz shot…but taking it through your eyeballs. It’s an intense smack. A sloppy, syrupy, slush-puppy of a movie – but it’s not sickly. It’s wonderfully watchable, witty and with a big punch of a life lesson to boot.
Story in a nutshell, or shall we say a popcorn kernel, is: high-moraled journalist quits his job because his paper is bought by an awful greasy media mogul. He bumps into his ex-babysitter at a party (who he had a crush on as teenager) and it just so happens she’s a top Secretary of State who needs a speechwriter who can make her more appealing to the masses.
Fred Flarsky is said journalist turned speechwriter (a wonderfully quirky Seth Rogen) who will take the leap, literally, for a good story. And will stand by his principles ahead of everything else. He also writes bloody good speeches as it turns out.
Charlotte Field (Charlize Theron) is the uptight, frazzled Secretary of State who has crammed so much into her soulless existence that she takes power nano-naps…standing up.
Flarsky meanwhile enjoys his existence and when he starts working for Field this starts to rub off on her and their rugged rapport blossoms.
It is utterly charming. And as schmaltzy as it sounds and as schmaltzy as it is – you leave the cinema thinking that being true to you yourself is frankly all that matters. Well that and climate change – and saving the birds, the trees and the seas. In fact, Great Thunberg might even enjoy it.
Cast your rom-com scepticism aside and allow yourself to be swept into a sugary bliss of thoroughly enjoyable romantic millennial escapades. And you might even have your faith restored in the possibility of politicians fighting for what’s right. Obviously that’s a bloody big ask in these crazy Brexit-Trump times – but it delivers some political optimism – doubt not my friends, doubt not.
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