The Mondavi Gang

An explosive political thriller that rips the lid off the hype and hypocrisy of American politics without even leaving the dining room table. Four talented performers (David Morwick, AnnaLea Arnold, R. Brandon Johnson and Lalesha Railsback) purportedly gather to celebrate a birthday with a quiet dinner. But before they're done — and well before dessert — they manage to cluster bomb the 2008 Presidential campaign, along with their relationships. In particular, Morwick scores as the angst-driven Clintonite enraged by an Obama-obsessed media. His smoldering intensity, enhanced by his All-American good looks, very nearly leaps off the screen. Arnold, as the staunch Republican, squelches the stereotype of a screeching right-winger to offer a surprisingly even-handed treatment of Sarah Palin. The film's balanced approach -- Johnson skillfully kicks the Dems just as much as Railsback skewers Republicans -- is neither a red state rant nor a liberal diatribe. The result is something way more thoughtful than anything on the cable news scream fests, equally high-decibel yet far more exhilarating. Within half-an-hour, Morwick -- who also wrote the screenplay -- torpedoes sexism, ageism, fawning media doublespeak, overpromising yet underperforming politicians and at least a dozen other hot button issues. But the lingering aftertaste of The Mondavi Gang still leaves you hungry for more. Your next dinner party should be this lively, but if it is, heed our warning -- first hide the crockery. (Bill Retherford, Coast-With-The-Most Productions)