Outstanding lead performances and unexpected twists in this taut, darkly comedic thriller combine with gradual reveals to keep you guessing throughout. If you're expecting Niles Crane from Frasier you're in for a big surprise!    

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The Perfect Host - The Dinner Party as Dying Art

Winston Churchill once said, "Russia is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma."  So, too, is The Perfect Host, a Sundance selection by Australian filmmaker Nick Tomnay.

On the surface, the story in this psychological thriller is straight forward. Warwick Wilson, played by Tony, Drama Desk and Emmy-winner DAVID HYDE PIERCE carefully prepares for a dinner party, the table impeccably set and the duck perfectly timed for 8:30 p.m. You'll recognize Pierce from his many dramatic and comedic successes: Dr. Niles Crane in Frasier, and Little Man Tate, Bright Lights, Big City, Crossing Delancey, Sleepless in Seattle, Nixon on the big screen, plus Spamalot, La Bete, Accent on Youth, Curtains, Beyond Therapy on Broadway.

John Taylor (Clayne Crawford, A Walk to Remember, Wristcutters, 24, Leverage, Burn Notice, Criminal Minds) is a career criminal who just robbed a bank and needs to get off the street. Taylor talks himself into Warwick's home, posing as a friend of a friend, new to Los Angeles, who's been mugged and lost his luggage.

As the evening progresses, riddles, mysteries and enigmas unfold, convolute and twist again and again. The roles of protagonist and antagonist flip back and forth as the lead characters play mind games with each other. The dinner party is like none you've ever seen and includes my favorite line from the film: "You can't kill me, I'm having a dinner party."

David Hyde Pierce does an incredible job creating a complex character who channels Dr. Hannibal Lecter and Jimmy 'Popeye' Doyle filtered through La Cage aux Folles and A Beautiful Mind. Don't think about that too hard; you'll understand after you've seen this engrossing film.

Clayne Crawford's performance is also top notch. He creates sympathy for a totally unsympathetic character. Even a professional bank robber can have a bad day and be cursed by a crazy girlfriend. The manipulative girl friend is played seductively by Internet diva Megahn Perry (Funny or Die, Hate My 30's, The Gravedancers).

So what kind of film is it?  A thriller, sprinkled with just enough humor, using a game of chess as a recurring motif. But, the players in this game stand to lose a lot more than the pieces on the board.

© Leo Sopicki.   Living and writing in Los Angeles, Leo Sopicki brings a unqiue perspective to film industry news and reviews.