The story of Democratic candidate Gary Hart's doomed 1988 Presidential
campaign.
Review by
Musanna Ahmed
Directed by: Jason Reitman
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Vera Farmiga, JK Simmons, Molly
Ephraim, Mamoudou Athie, Alfred Molina, Kaitlyn Dever
Movies about American politicians embroiled in controversy have sort of
lost their power in the last couple of years, knowing that, these days, in
reality, the chances of a controversial candidate attaining victory is
absurdly high. We can make our mind up about a Gary Hart biopic before we've
even seen it, chastising the man and any attempt to humanise him. Or we can
watch The Front Runner for Jason Reitman's very nuanced
portrait of the disgraced politician, which doesn't let him off the hook but
doesn't refuse to criticise the media circus around him either.
Based on the book 'All the Truth is Out: The Week Politics Went Tabloid' by
Matt Bai (who also co-wrote the screenplay with the director and
Jay Carson), this film follows Democratic candidate Hart’s
presidential campaign over three weeks in 1988, which was disturbed by
allegations of adultery. How ill-considered actions and dishonest reactions
can cost you the position of a lifetime. The tagline sells his story as an
event that changed American politics forever. Sure, one major decision will
indeed change something forever, but isn’t that tagline relevant for most
films based on American politics?
It’s not the ideal selling point for the film, which is rather fascinating
in its presentation of the battle between ethics in politics vs ethics in
news reporting. Affairs and media lies are eerily appropriate topics to
touch on today. Like watching the general elections, the race to the truth
at the centre of The Front Runner compellingly plays out like
a thriller. The "act" is never depicted - what’s more important is how Hart
responds when the rumour mill gets going.
Repeatedly brushing off the hearsay to his campaign team by stating that
"the public doesn’t care" about these details of his personal life, Hart
speaks from the experience of a man who has come so far in his career
without engaging with the hearsay. Now, at the peak of his mountainous climb
to the top - which the Coloradoan politician symbolises by shooting his
announcement video in the Rocky Mountains - he’s severely underestimating
the impact of tabloid journalism. In that regard, it’s fair to say that the
week politics went tabloid did indeed shift American politics to never be
the same again, justifying why The Front Runner would sell
itself in this particular way despite my previous point about
unoriginality.
Elaborating on this point about tabloid journalism interference in politics
through the focus on personal lives, The Front Runner paints
the Miami Herald’s reporters in a bad light by highlighting their invasion
of privacy tactics and their conclusion-hopping prior to getting all the
facts. Having the newspaper’s team played by comedians (Mike Judge,
Bill Burr, Kevin Pollak) implies that they’re kind of a joke.
Their portrayal comes at the risk of leaning too much in favour of the
politician, but bridging the gap between fake news and suspicious
politicians is a Washington Post reporter with direct access to Hart, A.J.
Parker (Mamoudou Athie).
He’s the only press person gifted with the trust of Hart, so if the
potential president can’t give him straight answers, there’s no hope for
anybody else. Their relationship is one of the key components of the film,
emphasising Reitman’s only agenda, which is to learn more about Hart, but
only through the verifiable lens of a good journalist. So, understanding
that this is a legitimate profile of Hart, there’s the need for a fine actor
to take on such a meaty role. Hugh Jackman knocks it out of the
park.
The actor enters new territory with this political drama and navigates it
with finesse. Firing off politic-speak with a sharp tongue, it feels like
the Oscar nominee has unearthed abilities within him that audiences have
never seen before. Typically sticking to heavily physical (and often angry)
roles, we're used to his characters reacting with either physical or verbal
violence, so his generally calmer demeanor during tense moments (of which
there are plenty) constantly upends our expectations. What will Hart have to
say about this? Jackman ensures the answer to that is captivating to watch.
His campaign staff - made up of a cohort of very good actors including
JK Simmons, Chris Coy and Alex Karpovsky - are
fully attuned to the Sorkin-esque script, having fun with the wit and
quips.
I have to describe the film with trite, obvious descriptors such as
"timely" and "relevant," but the strong parallels to present-day political
scandals are undeniable. The Front Runner may not be the most
incisive political drama but its foreshadowing of the contemporary political
landscape is valuable. At the very least, what it has to offer is a terrific
Jackman performance and a confirmation that Reitman has returned to
form.
The Front Runner is on Netflix UK
now.