In 1986, Matthew Broderick played a mischievous student whose motto was to "live each day to its fullest" while making the life of his principal -- Mr. Rooney, a man determined to catch and stop Ferris' shenanigans -- a living hell in the charming and offbeat comedy, "Ferris Bueller's Day Off."
As good an example as one can get for the old sayings, "What goes around, comes around" and "Turnabout is fair play," Broderick now plays the tormented school "grownup" on the other side of the school desk in "Election," another unique but decidedly more adult comedy about ambition, morals and dastardly deeds that occur in a fictitious Nebraska high school.
An estranged cousin to last year's similarly satirical and quirky "Rushmore," this film marks the sophomore directorial effort of Alexander Payne. Like his earlier work, 1996's little seen but critically lauded "Citizen Ruth" -- which focused on sensitive subject matter such as abortion and inhalant use and abuse -- Payne doesn't stray far from controversy as this one features teacher/student sex, lesbianism, adulterous behavior and schemingly corrupt teachers.
Working from a script he coauthored with Jim Taylor ("Citizen Ruth") which they based on a novel by Tom Perrotta (itself partially inspired by the 1992 three-way Presidential campaign), Payne's film uses such material for comic effect, and while it's irreverent and dark, it's not quite charred enough to be considered truly blackened.
Although nothing outrageously hilarious ever transpires during its one hundred or so minute runtime, the film is constantly filled with all sorts of offbeat and witty humor -- some of it quite sharp -- that not only keeps the film interesting, but also makes the less than savory subject matter a bit more palatable.
What really makes the film work so well, however, is the director's unique approach in telling the story. While the use of multiple voice-over narration from various characters is relatively unusual (although "The Thin Red Line" unraveled partly due to that), it's fortunately not too horribly bothersome or distracting. Although we still think it's a cheap and easy way to impart necessary exposition, it's somewhat acceptable considering the film's nature.
A much more effective tool in Payne's directorial arsenal, however, is his clever and inventive use of camera techniques, including a series of freeze-frame images during which one character describes their feelings for another. With the subject's expression usually frozen in an unflattering or awkward look, the technique -- often hilariously used on the pretty and peppy Tracy -- is put to good use.
The same holds true for composer Rolfe Kent's ("Citizen Ruth," "The Theory of Flight") fun and lively score that's as much a character as any of the flesh and blood ones. Mostly used as signature pieces to differentiate the characters thematically, the best bits of the score include comically bloodcurdling warrior cries and chanting that play whenever Tracy gets really steamed or mad at someone. The effect is priceless and one of the better moments in the film.
Like the critically lauded "Rushmore," the film works not only due to the outlandish setup and involved characters, but also because of the wonderfully comic performances. As such, Matthew Broderick ("Glory," "Addicted to Love") is quite good in a role that initially starts out like those in nearly any other comedy piece in which he's appeared.
That doesn't last long, however, and while the "Ferris Bueller" role-reversal connection adds a hilarious touch of irony to his performance (where he even begins to resemble the defeated and disheveled Jeffrey Jones from that earlier film), its fun to see Broderick go over to the "dark side" for a change.
Reese Witherspoon ("Pleasantville," "Cruel Intentions") is also quite good as the perky overachiever and generally annoying go-getter. While perhaps a bit too stereotypical in her portrayal of the character, the effect is intentionally done for humor's sake and it works quite well. It's also interesting that while we initially don't like her character -- by the default setup -- she turns out not to be the true villain.
Supporting performances are strong across the board from the other cast members. In two nicely tuned comedic takes, Chris Klein and Jessica Campbell not only make their feature film debuts, but also create some memorable comic characters. That's particularly true for Klein who -- when not delivering a monotone speech filled with nothing but run-on sentences -- bears a striking physical and acting resemblance to Keanu Reeves (who kick-started his career also playing a good-looking, air-head student). Party on, dude!
While we could have done without so much voice over narration -- unless, of course, had the dialogue been brimming with funny material as in the upcoming Australian comedy, "The Castle" -- and the plot might have been more fun had the main characters been a bit more involved in actively scheming against the others, overall the film is a fun and decidedly offbeat comedy.
Although it goes on a bit too long after the main resolution and you probably won't bust a gut from laughing really hard at any given moment, as long as you don't mind the more adult look at high school life, you'll probably get a kick out of this near constantly amusing film. We did, and thus give "Election" our vote with a 7 out of 10.
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