The Front Runner

Cert: 15A; Now showing

Some say the US media’s obsession with the private moral fibre of presidential hopefuls — or incumbents, in the current case — can be traced back to the dropping out of the 1988 race of Democratic runner Gary Hart.

Before Hart, there was an understanding with journalists that a politician’s private life was out of bounds and policy was really all that mattered.

Following revelations of his extramarital affair with model/ actress Donna Rice in 1987, Hart and his ilk became fair game, and a new normal in political reportage was inducted in.

Hugh Jackman is ideal as the Senate Adonis refusing to play the game, naively thinking he can swat away questions about the sex scandal and get back to matters of office. Trying and failing to limit the damage is JK Simmons’s superbly huffy campaign manager.

What makes this tale so compelling is how it handles the moral conundrum. Hart clearly does wrong by devoted wife Lee (Vera Farmiga), but in-turn he is preyed upon by a bored tabloid media looking for dirt on an immaculate bib.

What sealed his fate however was when the broadsheets were forced to also run with the story.

Philosophical arguments aside, waves of relevance lap against today’s shores, resulting in intelligent, thought-provoking political drama.

Underpinning it all is classy filmmaking from Jason Reitman (Juno, Tully) who gets a fine ensemble cast moving to the same beat.