The Front Runner

I had the pleasure to attend this year's Denver Film Festival as a member of the press (fake news!) again this year. 

I always find it a struggle to make a lot of time for the festival each year so my goal is usually to go to at least 1 film. Plus press tickets are still $20 for the main showings so...

This year's selection was their "Big Night" event, The Front Runner which was a perfect selection because of its Colorado ties. The film's writers, producer, and director Jason Reitman were all in attendance and were interviewed afterwards (more on that later). 

The film is about a political story that was a few years before I was even born so to me it was immensely interesting to see the parallels it draws between then and now. Senator Gary Hart, from Colorado, was running for President in 1988 and was the front runner, by a wide margin, for the Democratic candidacy. A scandal surrounding him potentially cheating on his wife resulted in the media hounding him and eventually providing enough evidence that he had to drop from the race. It's viewed heavily as the moment where politics and the entertainment (think TMZ) industry collided. 

Whatever your thoughts on Trump are - and his rise to Presidency is certainly the most uncommon in history - it draws immediate parallels and speaks to a different time of American politics. Here's a direct comparison: Gary Hart had an affair, denied it in a roundabout way, and was essentially forced to exit the race because there was no hope for him to win. Trump is on record as saying "grab em by the p***y" in reference to seducing women and he's now our President. Again, your political alignment aside, you cannot deny that shift in expectations that exists.

That Moment When:
the claws may come out

The film outline of all this is an entertaining, albeit scattered and unfocused one. I was never bored, but I was rarely on the edge of my seat either. I think a large reason for this is that the film feels like a collection of scenes, rolling one to the next, without much transition or even need sometime. A handful of scenes are unnecessary, but what's surprising is the film isn't all that long (1hr, 53 mins) and doesn't feel like it. Because of that, I feel like we could have spent more time with Jackman and his Hart to really connect more vs. having him feel like just another character out of a large cast. This expansive cast, while impressive and filled with familiar faces, feels like it may have been the wrong decision vs. a more focused narrative. Each character is given minimal screen time outside of a handful of scenes and often the film tries to create a sense of the chaos on the political trail by having 20+ people speaking at once. It's amusing for a scene or two, and leads to some laughs, but ultimately wears thin.

"Yeah you do not want to piss that guy off.
He'll rip your face off. Seriously."

The Front Runner gets bonus points however, by being immensely interesting and moving along at a brisk pace. There are plenty of fun Colorado references - including a scene at Red Rocks! - for those of us that get giddy over CO representation in film. Just me? Whatever. But the film's direct ties to today is engrossing and to be honest, it doesn't really stretch to make any of those connections, probably one of its greatest feats. This very much comes across as an even telling of the story with no hidden agenda (or if there is one, it's minimal). It's not politically charged, nor does it openly mock our current state of politics. Reading between the lines however, it has plenty to say about them. In a post-film interview, it was interesting to hear Reitman eloquently speak about how the film offers you the choice to choose between focusing on what is relevant (to politics, the candidate, etc.) and what is "entertainment". Today it's nearly a indiscernible difference so it's a poignant option to see the two separated out here. 

Performances in The Front Runner are stellar across the board, but many characters do feel woefully underused. Example, Alfred Molina is in this film for all of about 4-5 lines. That just flat out seems like a waste of his talent. Conversely, Jackman gets some ample time to shine and doesn't disappoint (I mean, does he ever?). His Gary Hart is what Reitman described as an "enigma" where we never really get to know him because that's how the real Hart was. Vera Farmiga plays his wife Lee Hart and also does good work along with J.K. Simmons and a handful of other familiar faces.

That Moment When:
you know the claws are coming out

Last but never least, the film has highs and lows from a technical standpoint as well. The camera work is well done and fits the genre as does the editing. There's hardly an original score here, but it's outstanding when there is which makes it a shame that they didn't decide to use more of it. In certain scenes there's a distinct lack of dramatic tension where there should perhaps be some (or it's minimal and could use an added edge) and a consistent original score would have likely done wonders. 

While not one of the strongest showings during my minimal Denver Film Festival tenure, The Front Runner is still an enjoyable and remarkably timely film. It breezes by effortlessly and Jackman is unsurprisingly a standout; I just wish the narrative would have been a little more focused overall. 

CONS

• Tries to pack too many characters without giving many of them time to shine
• Doesn't feature a whole lot of tension where there should likely be more
• Narrative could have used more focus, likely on Hart himself. Certain scenes feel unnecessary and then we're guided to an abrupt ending
• Woefully underused original score

PROS

• The story is still interersting today, perhaps more than ever. Very timely and says a lot about today without even trying
• Mostly down the middle. Doesn't feel politically charged and instead offers up its story
• Jackman has a strong core performance, as always
• Supporting cast all do great work too
• Moves along at a brisk pace and captures the chaos of politics well
• Very fitting original score when its used

Rath's Review Score | 7.5/10