Contender, The

Aroview: Strongly performed political thriller centred around the confirmation of Vice-Presidential candidate Joan Allen, whose enemies try every trick in the book to besmirch her with the dirt of past misdeeds, especially ruthless Republican Gary Oldman.

Taking a triangular power-struggle (President Jeff Bridges also has his own agenda) as its starting point, this develops not just as a superbly twisty thriller, but also raises alarming questions about the back-handed shenanigans that affect such high-level decisions, also questioning politicians’ rights to privacy.

NZ International Film Festival 2001

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