Campaign strategists, and an acutely aware journalist, take center stage in this document of the volatile 1994 Virginia senatorial race between Republican Oliver North and Democrat Charles Robb. The contest marks a comeback for North, who, nearly a decade later, is still fielding questions about his participation in the Iran-Contra Affair during the Reagan administration. Meanwhile, incumbent Chuck Robb faces a scandal of his own when a former Miss Virginia claims that they had an extramarital affair, and a third candidate, Marshall Coleman, nips at North’s heels from within his own party. Filmmakers David Van Taylor and R.J. Cutler expertly examine the calculated moves behind North’s senatorial bid through frank backstage discussions with campaign manager Mark Goodin and his staff, while setting the film’s moral compass through the reflections of Washington Post reporter Don Baker. A Perfect Candidate deftly guides us through the dark underbelly of the electoral process, exposing a tangle of negative campaigning and maneuvering that has less to do with promoting ideals and more to do with gaining power.  ST