Run This Town Parent Guide

Following his graduation from Western University with a degree in journalism, Bram Shriver (Ben Platt) finds a job at a small paper and begins working at the bottom of the totem pole. Writing “Top Ten” lists about the city of Toronto is wearing him down, and he aspires to more significant assignments. Kamal Arafa (Mena Massoud), meanwhile, has been working as a Special Assistant to the Mayor, and begins to think Rob Ford (Damien Lewis), Toronto’s mayor, is increasingly unstable. As things spiral further out of control, Ashley Pollock (Nina Dobrev) realizes that her job in the Mayor’s Office may not be worth the pay…

This is a big, sprawling story, and it struggles to hold on to itself. It bounces between different characters and narrative arcs and doesn’t always finish the story lines it begins. This is a problem because Run This Town assumes a fairly high level of viewer familiarity with the numerous scandals of Rob Ford’s mayoral tenure. Given that most of these happened around seven years ago and have been swamped by the tsunami of political scandals that have occurred worldwide in the intervening period, I found it difficult to keep up at times. I doubt viewers outside of Canada, or particularly Ontario, will be able to keep track of every plot element in the film.

In addition to struggling as a piece of mass market entertainment, Run This Town, isn’t entirely suited as an educational option either. Its extensive use of profanity and sexual language are not appropriate for children or teens, and the confused presentation of the subject matter doesn’t lend itself to quick comprehension of the events being depicted. Snappy, fast paced dialogue makes the film more watchable, but I’m not sure it outweighs the unsettling sight of Damien Lewis as Rob Ford in a truly bizarre fat suit. Even then, there’s an Aaron-Sorkin-lite feel to the dialogue, but it isn’t always successful. Instead of smart people talking quickly, scenes often display what feels like insecure people rambling to try and sound smarter, which isn’t nearly as entertaining to watch. All the speed, half the flavor.

I’m unsure of the broad market appeal of this movie. For political addicts in Toronto, this will scratch a few itches as they reminisce over Rob Ford’s lunatic turn in City Hall, but the further you get from Nathan Phillips Square, the more interest will wane. The rest of us will have to find our entertainment in whatever scandals pop up on the ten o’clock news.