GAME CHANGE

US, 2012, 118 minutes, Colour.
Julianne Moore, Woody Harrelson, Ed Harris, Peter Mac Nicol, Jamey Sheridan, Sarah Paulson, Ron Livingston.
Directed by Jay Roach.

Game Change is one of those films made by Home Box Office for television screening in the US with possible theatrical release around the world. Other films like this are You Don’t Know Jack (Al Pacino as Dr Jack Kevorkian) and Too Big To Fail (about the financial crash of 2008). In Australia, they are first screened on pay television channels.

Another of these films was Recount, a drama about the dispute in Florida, 2000, which determined that George W. Bush would be president rather than Al Gore. That film was directed by Jay Roach who directs this story of the Republican nomination campaign in 2008, focusing on Sarah Palin. (Jay Roach is better known for comedies, the Austin Powers satires and the Meet the Fockers films.)

It is amazing how quickly current American political stories are treated in feature films (think Oliver Stone’s W and the story of the two Presidents Bush or Fair Game, the outing of Valerie Plame as a CIA operative by the Bush Administration after her husband questioned Iraq’s buying uranium from Africa and the claims about weapons of mass destruction).

Only very young audiences will not have memories of John Mc Cain’s introduction of the governor of Alaska, Sarah Palin, as his running-mate in 2008. It seemed a good idea at the moment, but the moment was comparatively short, as revelations about the governor’s actions and the law concerning her husband emerged and, much more importantly, her ignorance about the world and contemporary politics. While she drew quite a following and boosted donations for the campaign, she was not credible as a possible President and President Obama was elected.

This film is based on part of a book by reporters on the politics of 2008, "Game Change: Obama and the Clintons, Mc Cain and Palin, and the Race of a Lifetime" by Mark Halperin with John Heilemann.

At the centre of the film is Julianne Moore, so convincing in look, manner, speech as Sarah Palin – but, the film, while showing her limitations and presumptions, does humanise her in many ways. She is more vulnerable than she thinks. Her folksiness has some initial charm but cannot last and she feels isolated from her family, gets moody with her advisers, wants to be loyal to Mc Cain (who keeps his distance from her, meeting her rarely during the campaign). One begins to feel sorry for her as she, still willingly, is trapped in circumstances beyond her. There is a sequence, with some pathos as well as having a dig, where we see Sarah Palin watching Tina Fey’s send-up of her on Saturday Night Live. But, with the vulnerability, Sarah Palin is still quite tough as well.

The other focus of the film is not Mc Cain himself (well played, with a swearing mouth) by Ed Harris who emerges as intensely ambitious, often dismayed by Sarah Palin, but shocked at the rabble-roused hostility and slander on Barack Obama. Rather, we stay with Steve Schmidt, with a fine performance by Woody Harrelson. He is reluctant to join the campaign but is persuaded by Mc Cain. He goes along with the plan for nominating Sarah Palin, realises eventually that she can perform effectively by acting with prepared answers but soon regrets the political choice doomed to fail and has to control her despite her growing hostility towards him and her firing her speechwriter. The film is certainly interesting in presenting the characters and their behaviour, but there is great interest in spending two hours being taken into the machinations, power struggles and manoeuvres behind the scenes.

An interesting release for 2012, a presidential election year.

1. A film of American politics? The beginning of the 21st century? Campaigns, the role of the media, celebrity candidates? The response of the public?

2. The film based on a book, written by analysts and observers? Incorporating the facts and figures into a narrative for a film? The limitations of what can be presented in two hours? The opportunity for the audience to react, to reflect? Issues of campaigns and strategies, particular tactics, personalities, advisers, communication amongst the advisers, reticence, being forthright or not? Issues of finance? The writers and their speeches? The coaching of the candidates? The openness or not to the media?

3. The film showing the campaign centres, the conventions, the candidates and their travelling, meetings? On television, debates? John Mc Cain’s Arizona ranch? The musical score?

4. The framework of the film, the introduction to Steve Schmidt? His being interviewed on television, his retrospect about the choice of Sarah Palin? The ending and his hesitation to answer? The same question for the audience about the appropriateness of John Mc Cain’s choice, the advice he was given, Sarah Palin in herself, her performance?

5. The portrait of John Mc Cain, his past, military service, the military family? His becoming a senator, his political service, ambitions? His age, seventy-two, his reputation? The campaign for the nomination? His getting it? The picture of Barack Obama and his campaign, personable, the polls, his becoming a celebrity? Mc Cain’s desire for power? Ed Harris and his look, the impersonation of Mc Cain? The discussion about Joe Lieberman running as a Democratic vice-presidential candidate? Lieberman and his presence in the plane, the discussions? The desire to unite the parties, to unite America? The possibilities for some kind of reconciliation? The discussions about a woman candidate? The search for candidates? The decision about Sarah Palin? Mc Cain agreeing to meet with her, the bond with her, yet keeping away from her, especially during the campaign? His communication with her mediated? His elation at her success, her speech on being nominated? The beginnings of the troubles, his anxiety? The interview with Katie Couric, Sarah Palin’s failure? The debate with Joe Biden? Her performance, learning her lines? The issues of finance, Sarah Palin attracting donors? His hopes for success? His being supported by his friends?

6. The film with the perspective of Steve Schmidt: initially wary, friendship with Mc Cain, agreeing to participate in the campaign? Astute, his character, his focus? Ideas for the campaign? His going along with Sarah Palin? Vetting her, the nature of the questions asked (and those not asked)? The hopes for the campaign, the surprise? His bringing in Nicolle Wallace? As a writer? The other writers and advisers? The strategies, the briefings? Sarah Palin’s success, bringing in the cash from supporters? Her ignorance, discovering her limitations? His liaising with Mc Cain? The staffers, the meetings, the nomination? The discovery about her political background and the courts? Alaska, the clashes? The coaching of Sarah for the TV? Her resentment of him? Her request for a poll in Alaska? His insight into her ability for acting? The disasters in interviews? The preparation for the debate with Joe Biden? His concern about Sarah’s mental health, her emotions, bringing her family to her? The experience of the defeat? His demands that she not give a speech? The final interview and the question?

7. Sarah Palin, audience awareness of her, memories of 2008? Rick Davis and his idea to have a woman running-partner? The scenes of his vetting the various Republican politicians online? The phone call to Sarah Palin, her arrival, meeting Mc Cain, her delight, gushing, her loyalty to Mc Cain?

8. Her personality, her appearance? Julianne Moore embodying Sarah Palin? Clothes, hair, walk, talk? Folksy? Her relationship with her family? The secrets in the political background? Sarah Palin’s life, in Alaska, as mayor of her home town, her family growing up, the Down Syndrome baby? The pregnancy of her teenage unmarried daughter? The father and his coming to join the group? Her religious background, her staunch pro-life stances? Her moose-hunting, the gun lobby? The advisers’ delight in all these characteristics? The Alaskan deals, her husband, his belonging to the group for secession? Firing people, the decision of the courts? Her blithe moving through all these difficulties?

9. The convention, her being coached, the clothes, the makeup, her success, the money rolling in?

10. Her lack of policy? Thinking the queen was the authority in England? The ability to see Russia from Alaska? Her being primed on the Russian invasion of Georgia? Her needing the maps to know where countries were? Busily taking notes? Too much information, fatigue, her diet, her family being away from her? Working with Nicolle, wanting a poll of her popularity in Alaska? Becoming moody? The rehearsals, her texting while Nicolle was trying to help her? Ignoring Nicolle? The interview with Katie Couric, her confidence, floundering? Her ignorance about Supreme Court cases? Her inability to be specific?

11. The pathos of the scene of her watching Saturday Night Live and Tina Fey’s impersonation? Mocking her ignorance?

12. Reactions to Palin as a possible president, the collage of actual television commentators? Her lack of capacity for diplomacy, leadership? Her reaction? Her family watching in dismay?

13. The range of coaches, political advisers? Giving her ideas, yet everybody pandering to her? The critiques? The criticism of her family? The cost of her clothes and her reaction to this news? Depression, jogging, refusing to talk to Steve Schmidt?

14. The audience gauging how Sarah Palin was faring through his observations of her?

15. Nicolle Wallace, in herself, the first meeting, writing the speeches, anticipating questions for interviews, the first interview and Sarah being genial and folksy? The more serious interviews, the cards, trying to help, Sarah ignoring her? Her phone call to Schmidt? Saying that Sarah was going rogue? Nicolle resigning? Later being seen and her comment that she could not vote?

16. The presentation of Barack Obama, the television excerpts, his speeches, the attacks? The vitriol against him – as a terrorist, as an Arab? His becoming a celebrity? John Mc Cain and his doing justice to the prejudice against Obama?

17. The continual polling? The Republican camp, facing up to loss? Mc Cain, accepting defeat, his speech? Sarah Palin and her text, Schmidt denying her the opportunity, it not being part of the tradition?

18. The film inviting audiences to think back about 2008? The idea for Sarah Palin, good and bad, the motivations, the advisers, the reaction of the media, of the public? The poor vetting and preparation for her candidature? The need for coaching, performance? Sarah Palin as a possible American president?