Four near-strangers sitting around a table and talking about nothing for 83 minutes. In this age of action-filled blockbusters it doesn't exactly sound like the most thrilling movie around, but I found the independent film Melvin Goes to Dinner, written by Michael Blieden and directed by Bob Odenkirk, to be a fascinating, intelligent film which captured my interest through to the end.

The movie takes place in a restaurant where Melvin reluctantly agrees to meet his friend Joey for dinner. When he gets there, he finds Joey has brought along a couple stragglers; his friend Alex and her friend Sarah, and the four quickly develop a rapport. Soon they are discussing topics ranging from sex to religion to ghosts, learning more about each other and themselves.

As with similar movies like The Breakfast Club, experiencing this film is less like watching a movie than it is like eavesdropping on a conversation. The dialogue is excellent, and the acting is such that nothing seems scripted, that these are just a bunch of people talking over dinner rather than making a movie.

If my description makes it sound as though Melvin is a dry, plodding film, nothing could be further from the truth. Though many parts are serious, much of the dialogue is very clever, and several parts are just hilarious, like Melvin's flashback to a conversation with a mental patient played by famed comedic actor Jack Black.

As anyone familiar with the outrageous HBO sketch comedy series Mr. Show can attest to, this kind of comedy is quite a departure for director Bob Odenkirk. But he does it well, and I look forward to any of his future projects.

Rating: 5/5 Stars