SPECIAL CORRESPONDENTS

US, 2016, 101 minutes, Colour.
Ricki Gervais, Eric Bana, Vera Farmiga, Kelly Macdonald, Kevin Pollak, American Ferrera, Raoul , Benjamin Bratt,
Directed by Ricky Gervais.

This is a comedy drama with the tongue firmly in cheek. It was written and directed by Ricky duvets, perpetuating his screen image, sometimes slow, sometimes cheeky, sometimes inventive…

Here is paired with the correct manner as they work for radio station in New York City, Banner the intrusive journalist getting a story and then being injected by authorities, surveys as the sound engineer, working with his assistant, Kelly Macdonald.

While banner is being threatened with being fired by his boss, Kevin Pollak, duvets is being ignored by his wife, Vera farm eager, who has a one night stand with the journalist.

But the gist of the story is that they are ordered to go to Ecuador to cover a revolution but, duvets throws wait the tickets by mistake while getting rid of a long letter he had written to his wife! What they are doing is hiding away in the upstairs of a local diner, helped by the sympathetic owners, creating news with phone calls to the head office, matters becoming more complex, they’re alleging that they have been kidnapped and held for ransom, advised to go to the Embassy in Quito.

In the meantime, the wife is supportive in the media for her husband, write a song, gets a great deal of publicity, receives quite an amount of money in donations for the ransom. As it turns out, the two men use some of the money to get to Quito to be rescued – a triumphant return to the United States.

Quite an amusing in its way, a sendup of the media and bombastic aspects, satire on American politics and concern about the journalists in Ecuador, and quite a satire on the limelight-seeking wife.

1. Ricky Gervais and his career, sense of humour, British perspective, on the United States? Journalism? Foreign policy? Ironic sense of humour?

2. The New York settings, journalists and crime reporting, offices, television studios, apartments, social parties? The cafe, upstairs, renovating it for a studio? Driving across America? The boat, landing in Ecuador, the countryside, the capture? The crowds and the rapturous reception? The musical score?

3. The title, Frank in action, pretending to be a detective, getting to the hotel, interrogating people, getting the gist of the story, his capacity for embroidering and dramatising the story, working with Ian and Claire? Mallard and his dislike? Threatening Frank? Breaking the law?

4. The contrast with Ian, British, short and podgy, awkward, not as smart as he hoped, not noticing Clare’s devotion? Going to the social, the clashes with his wife, missing all the signs? The party, arriving early, his being called to the job? His realisation that his wife did not love him? Writing the long letter?

5. Elleanor, dissatisfied with life, taking off her ring, flirting with Frank, the night together, ousting him?

6. The mission in Ecuador, Mallard sending Frank, Is Choosing Ian, the tickets, Ian and his letter to his wife, throwing it in the garbage? The airport, having thrown away the tickets, decisions? Going to talk in the cafe? Brigida and Domingo and their friendship? Ian and the plan? Going upstairs, setting up the studio, the sound effects?

7. The reporting, Frank and his ingenuity, creating the stories, getting information from other sources, embroidering? The decision to invent the uprising? The leader? The American media, Washington concerned? Pretending to be in the southern city, in danger, being taken hostage? Their sitting watching all the television?

8. Ballard, concerned, Claire? Going to see Eleanor, not liking her?

9. Eleanor, rising to the occasion, the appeal, the money, a dollar for the heroes, creating her song and singing it, radio, television appearances, the media? The donations, the office, all the cash in her apartment? In the safe?

10. US government, wanting the hostages to go to the embassy in Quito? Their going to the safe, taking the money, Eleanor catching them, the deal with her? Cross-country, the boat, landing in Ecuador?

11. Being captured, the treatment, Ian and his awkwardness, illness, the irony of the gun, shooting, Ian and his heroic escapade, shooting and escape?

12. The return, the crowds, heroes? The ratings for the radio station? Eleanor, Ian ignoring her, her satisfaction that she had a new album coming out? The clash with Frank? Ian and his going off with Claire?

13. Satiric English perspectives on the United States?