The Candidate

Interesting to watch even if only for a (jaundiced) view of campaign messaging and methods in the 1970s. Much of it is just wildly different from the situation in the US now. I expected Redford to be more likeable and sympathetic than I felt he was. For all he was initially and rather cursorily painted as motivated to serve and reform the system, he seemed to lose his moral compass fairly quickly [spoiler](there's a strong hint late in the film that he was randomly unfaithful with a young staffer)[/spoiler]. Effective in depicting a chaotic and ultimately meaningless swirl of advisors, followers and events surrounding the candidate as he progresses, but having established this, it largely sticks to hammering this point home. I waited for pivotal emotional scenes or moral choices and didn't really feel they happened - or perhaps that was the point?