Review: The Front Runner

The Front Runner
Cert: 15 / 113 mins / Dir. Jason Reitmen / Trailer



Well, this isn't a great start to 2019. Having already grumbled about The Favourite (not my favourite) and Colette (not my… okay, that one doesn't work), the descent into awards season silliness seems rife with movies designed to wind me up, and since there will be no quarter asked nor given this year, I have too many thoughts on The Front Runner to hold back out of politeness. Also, this review is basically a bunch of tweets I did, so there's that as well.

The Front Runner is a film from Jason Reitman based on the 1988 American presidential campaign by Gary Hart, which went up the spout when it turned out he'd been having bits on the side. There's a Wikipedia article about the whole thing here. It is every bit as entertaining and dramatically crafted as the film version, although mercifully shorter.

HART

Dear lord, this was boring. Whose side am I supposed to be on, here? Gary Hart? I know he's the subject, but is he our protagonist, too? The film shows nothing of his background as a senator. Is he a good one? Gary's a Democrat so he's nominally on the 'good' side, but is he good at being good? What's his actual professional background? There's never any doubt as to his affairs and he remains unrepentant throughout, even in the scene when his wife finally confronts him. Gary's not sorry for what happened, he just regrets being caught. That wasn't new then and it certainly isn't now. No, Gary's not our hero here.

Am I supposed to be on the press's side? Those sweaty, sex-case-looking guys staking out Gary's house and confronting him with non-questions like they graduated from journalism school earlier that day? Or how about the younger dude from the Washington Post who's literally handed more evidence of Gary's philandering, then just sort of waves it about in the air, unsure what his job is? Or the behind-the-scenes journos who mumble over each other in the office from scene to scene? Are this lot all crusading for freedom or are they bound by the political allegiances of their publications? Not explored, any of it. No, we're not on the press's side, they're just tertiary characters.

MORPH

Maybe I'm supposed to be cheering on Gary's wife, who doesn't look surprised, outraged or even saddened by any of it, just tired. Tired and resigned to a life of 'I don't even care any more I'd divorce him but I can't be bothered with the paperwork'. No, she's not in the film enough for it to be about her. Shame, since there’s a stronger hook for a perspective there.

Am I supposed to be with Gary's campaign-team, also massively surprised that a man who's made a lucrative career of nodding through people's opinions and promising he'll definitely look into things when he's in power MIGHT JUST BE A BIT OF A CHANCER? Odd, given that their job is to dispel EXACTLY THAT but with cheering, badges and flyers. Go back to being J.Jonah Jameson and making drummers blub, mate.

CHAS

Or is this about Crying Lady Who Got Caught Coming Out Of Gary's House who claims she's intelligent and qualified and people just think she's a bimbo, but we don't see her before or after sitting in restaurants painting her cheeks with mascara so there's no context for this? Gary mate, she might be younger but she's not even as hot as your wife, what were you thinking here? Is this the lesson? I sincerely hope not.

Maybe we're supposed to side with Female Campaign Intern Who Sits Necking Wine With Perceived Floozy, quietly gazing off into the middle distance suggesting some manner of socio-political insight into the whole thing? The one whose character is used so sparingly in terms of screen-time that any character development is abbreviated to 'yeah she knows Gary’s a wrong'un although she'll just keep working for him until the campaign folds'.

DAVE

Am I supposed to be remotely concerned in 2019 about these revelatory events depicted in 1988? 'But man had affairs!'. You don't say. 'Press couldn't believe that politician might be bad man!'. Oh mate. Is The Front Runner supposed to hold any modern relevance when the currently unfolding saga in America gets further beyond parody on a daily fucking basis? Does this film genuinely believe it's supposed to sit on the same shelf as The Post and Spotlight?

But most pertinently, how come when we get an advance screening of a film about contemporary social injustice and civil unrest on the other side of the world, nigh-on 25 people decide to walk out in the first ten minutes. But when there's one about a failed yet unremarkable presidential campaign from a deeply flawed white guy from 30 years ago they'll just sit and lap it up like there's some sort of vital new perspective to be gleaned from it all? Is it because of Wolverine? REALLY?

The wardrobe and makeup design was quite good.

The Ides Of March, if you don't want character-development.



If you're having trouble sleeping, sure.



If you need a paperweight or something to use up excess bandwidth, sure.



It is not.



Oh hell, yeah.



There isn't.



Level 1: The voice of Neeku Vozo is in this.







DISCLAIMERS:
• ^^^ That's dry, British humour, and most likely sarcasm or facetiousness.
• Yen's blog contains harsh language and even harsher notions of propriety. Reader discretion is advised.
• This is a personal blog. The views and opinions expressed here represent my own thoughts (at the time of writing) and not those of the people, institutions or organisations that I may or may not be related with unless stated explicitly.