The Front Runner - Movie Review
The Front Runner
Plot: American Senator Gary Hart's presidential campaign in 1988 is derailed when he's caught in a scandalous love affair.
Cast: Hugh Jackman, Vera Farmiga, J.K. Simmons, Alfred Molina
Director: Jason Reitman
Certificate: 15 (strong language)
Runtime: 113 minutes
Release Date: Friday 11th January 2019
The Front Runner opens with a fairly lengthy tracking shot as the world's media gather outside as the 1984 presidential nominations are announced. The camera soars over a sea of reporters and vans as technicians patiently wait for the results. There lies the extent of Front Runner's directorial ambition as instead, what Jason Reitman presents is a fairly by the numbers political biopic that contains moments of greatness yet those individual moments are few and far between.
Political dramas in recent years have had a sudden surge in quality. Whether it be stories bearing resemblance of current political scandals, or talented screenwriters navigating the complex art of making politicians talking in boardrooms somehow entertaining (see almost any Aaron Sorkin script), political dramas can be thoroughly engrossing so long as it has the necessary spark. The Front Runner has mere flickers. Set in the final stages of the 1988 presidential election, Gary Hart (Jackman) is the clear favourite until three weeks that would send his campaign into a downward spiral. Hart was the ideal politician. He knew exactly what to say, who to say it to and how to say it. He'd be able to turn any comment into a method to successfully push his campaign. Jackman gives a solid performance as Hart with more nuance than we've seen from him in the past. Confident and yet still with an ounce of humanity, Hart quickly becomes an admirable figure. When Front Runner works, it's when Jackman is giving his A-game and tensions are high. It's soon revealed that Hart has been having extra-marital affairs that threaten to destroy his chances of becoming President. The scenes leading to the revelation is where the film plays its Magnum Opus. Confrontations between the media and Hart in discussions revolving around the reliability of gossip and its place in the political circle. As a man on the edge of losing everything, Jackman really does shine. The issue is more to do with its placement in the film. Reitman plays his trump card (pardon the pun) halfway through the movie and as a result, what follows is a bit of a slog.
Plot: American Senator Gary Hart's presidential campaign in 1988 is derailed when he's caught in a scandalous love affair.
Cast: Hugh Jackman, Vera Farmiga, J.K. Simmons, Alfred Molina
Director: Jason Reitman
Certificate: 15 (strong language)
Runtime: 113 minutes
Release Date: Friday 11th January 2019
The Front Runner opens with a fairly lengthy tracking shot as the world's media gather outside as the 1984 presidential nominations are announced. The camera soars over a sea of reporters and vans as technicians patiently wait for the results. There lies the extent of Front Runner's directorial ambition as instead, what Jason Reitman presents is a fairly by the numbers political biopic that contains moments of greatness yet those individual moments are few and far between.
Political dramas in recent years have had a sudden surge in quality. Whether it be stories bearing resemblance of current political scandals, or talented screenwriters navigating the complex art of making politicians talking in boardrooms somehow entertaining (see almost any Aaron Sorkin script), political dramas can be thoroughly engrossing so long as it has the necessary spark. The Front Runner has mere flickers. Set in the final stages of the 1988 presidential election, Gary Hart (Jackman) is the clear favourite until three weeks that would send his campaign into a downward spiral. Hart was the ideal politician. He knew exactly what to say, who to say it to and how to say it. He'd be able to turn any comment into a method to successfully push his campaign. Jackman gives a solid performance as Hart with more nuance than we've seen from him in the past. Confident and yet still with an ounce of humanity, Hart quickly becomes an admirable figure. When Front Runner works, it's when Jackman is giving his A-game and tensions are high. It's soon revealed that Hart has been having extra-marital affairs that threaten to destroy his chances of becoming President. The scenes leading to the revelation is where the film plays its Magnum Opus. Confrontations between the media and Hart in discussions revolving around the reliability of gossip and its place in the political circle. As a man on the edge of losing everything, Jackman really does shine. The issue is more to do with its placement in the film. Reitman plays his trump card (pardon the pun) halfway through the movie and as a result, what follows is a bit of a slog.
Recent films such as The Post and Spotlight knew how to make otherwise bland and dull conversations into the most gripping verbal exchanges. The Front Runner sadly lacks that energy. Discussions between campaign executives working for Hart or heated debates between journalists all fail to land with the intended impact containing dialogue that has been rinsed and repeated in almost any political film. J.K. Simmons, as Hart's campaign manager is given next to nothing in a largely thankless role and Vera Farmiga, who only starts to find relevance in the final third, steals the majority of the scenes she's in yet doesn't receive the screen time she deserves. The Front Runner only scratches the surface on its shockingly true story and seemingly keeps things tame. Themes such as invasion of privacy and the behaviour of the press is only hinted at rather than appropriately divulged into. In twenty years from now, as we take a look at the influential political films of the past, The Front Runner is likely to be nowhere to be found.
This may be a fantastic showcase of Jackman's acting prowess and some legitimately amazing confrontations, but The Front Runner is mostly a mediocre affair (pardon the pun). Lacking any standout directorial approaches or witty, fast-paced dialogue, this doesn't stand much chance of winning an election any time soon.
My Verdict: 6/10
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