In this trough of lack of video releases, I went back to view
a show I had seen before and always wanted to get back to.

Joan Allen leads an all star cast including Beau Bridges and
Gary Oldman as the heavy.

The Contender is a political drama made and set just after
the Clinton presidency.

I'm not going to talk about the plot so as not to spoil
anything.

What makes the picture special is Joan Allen's first leading
role (so far as I know.) Go to IMDb to see a list of her
extensive credits.

She's done everything from Pat Nixon to Senator Lane Hanson
in "The Contender." This should have been her Oscar winning
performance. See the film and I think you'll agree.

Gary Oldman as her adversary also delivers a devastating
performance. I noted at the end that he was the producer
as well. He and Tim Roth (see them together in "Rosencrantz and Gildenstern Are Dead") have gone into directing and producing and
both to excellent effect.

But this is Joan Allen's film. Mature, careful, smart, and
fastidious I suppose apply to her. And they have her in a gown or two
to wear as well.

In this age of political underhandedness, I think you will
appreciate the message of The Contender. It is maybe one of the
last films of it's kind (along with The Insider) that we will
see for a long time. It's much easier to make CGI monsters and
chase the ring of power than to tackle the problems of the
here and now. For these reasons I recommend The Contender.