Opposites attracting has been a romantic staple forever. This movie posits that female presidential candidate Charlotte Field (Charlize Theron) gradually falls for journalist / speechwriter Fred Flarsky (Seth Rogen) whom she knew when they were young. It’s a nicely developed, rather kinky, decidedly modern sort of romance that finally builds to an unbelievable act that would doom any politician’s career, but here is played for pathos.

Jonathan Levine’s film presents the perfect female presidential candidate — young, smart, intuitive, hot, ruthless, genuine — but then expects us to accept that she would risk her career on Flarsky, a schlub of a guy who can barely hold a job. The premise almost works, for Flarsky is smart and kind and humble, and he knows how lucky he has become. But then the climax arrives, literally, and the film jumps the shark. It was somewhat realistic, then completely goes bonkers. And, to my chagrin, it glamorizes drug taking and acting stupid.

Modern comedies have made a painful point of presenting bad behavior as a sort of litmus test for character acceptance, as well as garnering laughs. Some things should remain unseen, I think, as proven in this movie. And it just isn’t believable to think that what goes on at the end would not negatively affect Charlotte’s run for the White House. Even with the recent lowering of morality evidenced by our current president. Right? Or perhaps the movie is making a point about what has become acceptable, or what ought to be acceptable. Anyway, I didn’t buy it.

I wanted to like this movie, and I do like how Charlotte is presented as a sophisticated modern woman, having to fight harder for everything she achieves. She would make a good president. But she deserves a better quality First Man. ☆ ☆. 3 July 2019.