The Front

Directed by Martin Ritt, The Front follows ’50s-era cashier Howard Prince (Woody Allen) as he agrees to serve as a “front” for several blacklisted television writers (eg Michael Murphy’s Alfred Miller and David Margulies’ William Phelps). Filmmaker Ritt delivers a mostly compelling drama that does, admittedly, possess its fair share of less-than-surprising narrative twists, including (and especially) the degree to which Howard lets his unearned fame go to his head, and yet it’s equally apparent that The Front, armed with Walter Bernstein’s clever screenplay, benefits substantially from its atmosphere of authenticity and raft of engaging, engrossing performances – with Allen’s strong turn here matched by a stellar supporting cast led by Zero Mostel. (The actor’s heartbreaking work as a popular star facing the blacklist provides the picture with an undercurrent of poignancy and ultimately stands as The Front‘s most memorable, captivating attribute.) And although the movie suffers from its share of lulls, The Front builds towards a satisfying final stretch that does, in the final analysis, cement its place as an effective (and affecting) endeavor.

*** out of ****