So Who's Right, Man?
Jason Reitman has a habit of telling unconventional stories, and his new film The Front Runner certainly has some surprises in store for those who don’t know the true story it’s based on, and even for those who do. The Front Runner follows the presidential campaign of senator Gary Hart (Hugh Jackman) in 1987, and the fallout that occurred when Hart’s extramarital affaire was uncovered by the press.
Reitman doesn’t want to tell a story with simple answers, and is instead aiming for something that will get audiences talking: “this is a movie where you’re going to have a different experience from the person sitting next to you. You’re going to walk out of the movie and say ‘Who cares about the president’s private life and what they do in the bedroom?’ And the person next to you is going to say ‘Well, a president shouldn’t be able to hide anything’”
How does the front runner himself embody this complexity? “This character is an enigma,” says Reitman of Hugh Jackman’s Gary Hart, “This is the most complicated performance Hugh Jackman has ever done. You are trying to figure him out, and you are trying to figure out how you feel about him.”
The Front Runner hits theatres November 21.
