Game Change

Game Change details the circumstances surrounding Sarah Palin’s (Julianne Moore) selection as John McCain’s (Ed Harris) running mate during the 2008 presidential election, with Palin’s obvious incompetence inevitably concerning everyone involved in McCain’s campaign – especially top strategist Steve Schmidt (Woody Harrelson). It’s an inherently compelling premise that is, for a while, employed to consistently watchable effect by filmmaker Jay Roach, with the engaging atmosphere heightened by the frequently spellbinding performances. Leading the charge is, of course, Moore’s creepily accurate portrayal of Palin , as the actress becomes the former Alaskan governor to a degree that’s often nothing short of astonishing – with Moore’s award-worthy turn mirrored in the efforts of her various costars, including Harrelson, Harris, Sarah Paulson, and Peter MacNicol. It’s also worth noting that Game Change generally succeeds as an irresistible fish-out-of-water story, as scripter Danny Strong places an ongoing emphasis on Palin’s attempts at blending into a world that couldn’t possibly be further from her own. There’s little doubt, however, that the film takes a palpable hit as it moves into its meandering midsection, with the repetitiveness of Strong’s screenplay – ie yes, Palin is incompetent, but what else? – resulting in a decidedly repetitive vibe that grows more and more problematic as time progresses. By the time the relatively tedious we-created-a-monster third act rolls around, Game Change has definitively established itself as a sporadically entertaining yet overlong and uneven piece of work that could’ve used a few more passes through the editing bay – which is too bad, really, given the strength of Moore’s undeniably mesmerizing performance.

**1/2 out of ****