Grassroots at 56th BFI London Film Festival
Grassroots
A pertinent and hilarious political comedy set in Seattle.
VUE, Screen 7 Oct 12, 2012 9:00 PM
On sale 24-09-2012 9:30 AM
VUE, Screen 7 Oct 14, 2012 3:15 PM
On sale 24-09-2012 9:30 AM
Rich Mix, Screen 1 Oct 15, 2012 9:00 PM
On sale 24-09-2012 9:30 AM
Director Stephen Gyllenhaal
Producer Matt R Brady, Peggy Case, Michael Huffington, Peggy Rajski
Screenwriter Stephen Gyllenhaal, Justin Rhodes
With Jason Biggs, Joel David Moore, Lauren Ambrose
USA 2012
97 mins
UK distribution Intandem Film
Seattle, 2001, and jaded journalist Phil Campbell has just lost the job he hated on a freesheet paper. Disheartened, he meets with his pal Grant Cogswell, an unemployed music critic with a penchant for dressing up as a polar bear. Inspired by the city’s iconic monorail, Grant has discovered an idealistic fervour, announcing he will stand against long-term incumbent Richard McIver in upcoming City Council elections. Campbell reluctantly becomes his friend’s campaign manager, only to witness Cogswell’s rhetoric and manner appealing to the hipsters and dreamers of Seattle previously disillusioned with the system. Cogswell becomes an unlikely hero who might just change the city, even the country, for the better; so long as politics don’t change him first. Stephen Gyllenhaal’s adaptation of real events documented in Campbell’s book Zioncheck for President is a pertinent and hilarious political comedy. Biggs and Rhodes prove to be a terrific double act, though the Emerald City rivals them as the true star of the film.
Michael Hayden
https://whatson.bfi.org.uk/lff/Online/default.asp?doWork::WScontent::loadArticle=Load&BOparam::WScontent::loadArticle::article_id=CCE7A17F-2FA7-4E2D-8F60-9EE804A9B38D