Blue State 3 Stars
Breckin Meyer, Anna Paquin
Directed by Marshall Lewy
“I promise that if George 'Dubya' Bush wins this election, I will move to Canada!”
So pledges John Logue (Meyer) one drunken night on the eve of the 2004 presidential election. He awakens hungover to find the job he left to join the Kerry campaign is gone, his girlfriend has left him, and his worst fear has come true. He didn’t really mean it, but when told he has to keep his promise, John decides to salvage what dignity he has left and follow through.
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He places a “disgruntled Democrat” ad, asking for a road trip companion. Does he get some left-wing liberal to join him? Well, this being the movies he gets Paquin, who feigns interest in his political beliefs, but obviously has another agenda up her sleeve. That said, we all know that any guy with a pulse would offer Paquin a ride, even if it means you may be attacked by evil mutants.
The plot outline of what follows sounds like a fairly routine romantic comedy. The two highway companions are soon at each other’s throats, and they'll meet a few crazy Canadians, at some point run out of gas and eventually get to know and like one another. Lewy’s script, however, is full of surprises, and just when you think you know what’s coming, will punch you in face—quite literally at one point.
Relationship movies work not because of what they are about, but because how they are about. It’s in the details. Meyer sometimes comes off quite bland on film, but here he is likeable and believable as an activist whose quirks and political rants sometimes become a little tiresome. Opposite him is the feisty Paquin, who’s enough to liven up even the most tread-worn premise.
Blue State is a romantic comedy, but in the same way that Shaun of the Dead was a romantic comedy—sometimes it’s just impossible to ignore those damn zombies! The politics in the film give it a certain slant, but they also give it edge and ground it in reality. Ultimately, it’s about deciding for yourself what you really believe in.