Contender, The

This numb-nut examination of zipper politics presents Joan Allen as a picture-perfect Democratic vice presidential nominee being euphemistically assassinated by weaselly Gary Oldman as the gutter-slime Republican seeking to block her nomination… at any cost. DreamWorks’ cinematic payback for the recent House circus over the Lewinsky imbroglio is especially ironic with Producer Steven Spielberg standing in for Leni Riefenstahl. Other than that, this is a moderately entertaining political thriller that, in its defense, offers valid observations about the political arena’s hypocrisy, with good performances turned in by Allen, Oldman, and Jeff Bridges as the President.