Naming your film The Front Runner is a brave decision — especially if you’re releasing it in the heart of Oscar season. Sure, it might be the appropriate title for a film about Gary Hart, a favorite for Democratic Presidential candidate in the 1980s undone by a sex scandal. But, cinematically, it writes its own headline if the film is not good — “The Front Runner? Not so much.” And, it turns out, those headlines are correct.
It’s not that The Front Runner is bad. Quite the opposite, actually. This is a well-acted, entertaining film that explores an interesting idea well enough to warrant a viewing, or at least avoid an immediate dismissal. But, despite all the elements working in its favor, nothing is done particularly well: it’s all serviceable, and surface-level in its execution.
Of course, this level of aggressive-averageness is something of an improvement for writer/director Jason Reitman. While the man has directed a few great films (most with the help of writer Diablo Cody), his films always fall in one of two extremes. The ones that aren’t excellent are massive train wrecks that border on unwatchable (avoid Labor Day and Men, Women, and Children like the plague).
To create a film that’s just fine is pretty impressive for him. But while Reitman’s filmmaking is inoffensive, it feels needlessly showy. Early scenes evoke the work of Robert Altman, with long takes, overlapping dialogue, and uncharacteristically artistic flourishes that feel like a film student showing off. Even worse, they largely disappear from the film in the final third.
As for Reitman’s screenplay — which he wrote with Matt Bai & Jay Carson — the film seems dedicated to exploring all sides of the story. It’s an admirable decision, and one that makes sense for the story. Unlike many recent scandals, there are many questions to consider about Gary Hart’s story. Should a politician be judged for having a consensual, albeit adulterous, affair? Do journalists have a duty to report on it? Reitman’s script explores every possible answer and point of view — just when you think the film has stated its thesis, it introduces another character to offer an opposing view. On one hand, this creates a compelling conversation and encourages debate.
On the other: this movie’s failure to take any stance makes it feel like two hours of nothing. Certain characters are depicted in far more favorable lights than others, so… are we supposed to side with those characters in these debates? The movie also twice relies on underwritten female characters to come out of the woodwork and skewer the more misogynistic characters and, while those two scenes are some of the best in the movie, they also reduce the characters who deliver the monologues to mere vessels for that particular point of view.
Even the main subject of the film feels somewhat underwritten. We never gain much insight into what makes Hart tick—which is peculiar given that the actual Hart signed off on the film. The movie paints him as a sad victim, or a sad man filled with regrets, there is no nuance. That being said: Jackman does a remarkable job with the part. It’s not exactly the sort of role that screams “Oscar!” but it’s very nice to see that, with his Wolverine claws retracted for good, Jackman is interested in committing to interesting roles like this.
His costars are all quite good too. The perpetually underused Vera Farmiga has some nice scenes as Lee Hart, Gary’s wife who knows of his affairs but turns a blind eye. Reitman also continues his winning streak with J.K. Simmons, who turns in a terrific, complicated performance that feels dialed down in the best way possible. But the two best performances come from the most unlikely of places.
Relative newcomer Mamoudou Athie (so good in last year’s Patti Cake$) does a wonderful job playing the entry point for the audience: a journalist desperately trying to work out his own thoughts on the scandal by listening to all those around him. Meanwhile, Sara Paxton (The Last House on the Left) shows up to deliver one hell of a monologue as Donna Rice, the woman who Hart had an affair with, who was later demonized by the press. Her story thread, a stunning condemnation of the way she was mistreated by everyone else involved in this story, is the closest thing the film has to a firm stance. It’s also the best scene.
The way Sony is dumping The Front Runner with minimal fanfare — on Election Day, no less, a tacky move when viewers should have other things on their mind — suggests that they don’t have much faith in its prospects. And it’s a minor shame, because there is an alternate version of history where this film is released in the spring and is universally considered “fine” by all those who watch it.
During Oscar season, its easy to use a binary system of film criticism and say that movies are either great or terrible when, really, most of the films we will watch in our lives are just “fine.” The Front Runner is just that. You’ll probably like it. There are so many other films to see right now in theaters, or even on streaming if you’re trying to catch-up in time for Top 10 season next month. But, keep this one in mind once spring rolls around — for all its problems, it’s a perfectly solid film.
Rating: 6/10
