Rats In The Ranks

If a documentary about small-town politics sounds like a bit of a snore, you haven't seen how they play the game in the Municipality of Leichhardt, Australia. Each year, Leichhardt holds its mayoral race, with the 12 town council members, organized along various party lines, voting on behalf of their constituencies. What may sound quaint by Washington standards is, in reality, anything but: These folks are out for blood and, above all else, themselves. Focusing on the week leading up to the 1994 election, filmmakers Bob Connolly and Robin Anderson have managed to capture a host of gory details as promises are shamelessly broken and reputations slandered, leaving on...