The Edge

While vacationing at an Alaskan lodge during a photo shoot, a pragmatic, solitary billionaire (Anthony Hopkins)--with a steel trap mind when it comes to survivalist tidbits--naturally finds himself lost in the wild with a sleek photographer (Alec Baldwin) who may or may not have eyes for his trophy wife (Elle Macpherson) and fortune and might prove a bigger threat than the 2,000 pound, flesh eating Kodiak bear stalking their every move.  Even with its rustic, prepossessing location shooting, exciting action sequences, and rugged subject, The Edge misses the point somewhat by deprioritizing the fact that at its heart this is essentially a two-man David Mamet battle of wills play which is evident in director Lee Tamahori's occasional misdirection of his actors (who are mostly great) and a lack of emphasis on the punchy dialogue.

*** 1/2 out of ****

Spartan

A highly skilled special ops agent (Val Kilmer) is charged with the retrieval of the Vice President's daughter following her kidnapping, ordered to function in a stealthy and effective manner before the incident becomes a global news story. Kilmer is potent in this mundane, implausible, and murky thriller which can't be saved by director David Mamet's characteristically hard-nosed dialogue and plotting.

** out of ****

Heist

After a jewelry store takedown comes off nearly without a hitch, a professional con man (Gene Hackman) and his crew are denied payment by their ruthless backer (Danny DeVito) who demands they take on one final score: the hijacking of Swedish jet to relieve it of its gold holdings. When a backup escape plan falls through, the crew is stuck not only with carrying out the daring heist but also in taking on the boss’s weaselly, hot headed, amateurish nephew (Sam Rockwell). The title job of the film takes second stage to David Mamet’s trademarked tough talking, crackling dialogue which takes on a certain ferocity when uttered by Hackman and DeVito during heated exchanges. Hackman delivers one of his finest twilight performances and supporters Delroy Lindo, Ricky Jay, and DeVito are a whole lot of fun as shifty conmen.

*** 1/2 out of ****

House of Games

A successful, recently published, somewhat uptight Chicago psychiatrist (Lindsay Crouse) heads to the other side of tracks to confront a low-rent bookie (Joe Mantenga) in hopes that he will relinquish a despondent client's penny-ante gambling debt. Instead she becomes enamored with the swindler and begins to learn the art of the small con. David Mamet's directorial debut is a brilliant, tough-talking, cold-hearted con movie whose many angles make it always prime to revisit over and over again. Mantenga gives an excellent performance while deftly spinning the tongue twisting dialogue and Crouse is also brilliant (something I didn't see my first time through) in a subtle, nuanced performance.

Phil Spector

As Phil Spector's legal team scrambles to devise a suitable defense in the seemingly indefensible shooting death of cocktail waitress and aspiring actress Lana Clarkson, highly regarded yet sickly and deeply skeptical trial lawyer Linda Kenney Baden (Helen Mirren) signs on to the case. As she meets the intelligent, voltaitle, and dillusional legend (Al Pacino), she becomes a little starstruck by his meteoric achievements in the music industry, and begins to be convinced of his innocence. HBO's new film comes with a big, fat disclaimer attached to it. That being said, it is both a fascinating look at a legendary personality and an adept examination of our legal system, particularly notions of reasonable doubt and how it can be easily swayed in a jury. Writer/director David Mamet cuts to the chase and delivers a smart, succinct film while Pacino, as expected, hams up the role to great effect and has Mirren as his perfect counter.

The Verdict

Frank Galvin is a washed up attorney with a failing private practice who spends his time handing out his business card at funerals and playing pinball while getting drunk at the local watering hole. One day, his old partner does him a favor and throws him a case involving a young woman who was incorrectly administered anesthesia at the Diocesan of Boston hospital and now lies in a vegetative state. Visiting the woman in order to take photographs to secure an easy settlement, Frank is moved by the woman's condition and sees in this case a chance to redeem both her life and his own. "The Verdict" is a remarkable courtroom drama made strong by a triumvirate of artists. For Paul Newman, his work as the alcoholic Galvin represents the finest in a career of illustrious roles. He inhabits the role of a desperate and passionate man, and his final appeal to the jury is truly excellent. The unsung director Sidney Lumet demonstrates his prowess as well, impeccably capturing the city of Boston and finding just the right tone, angles, and colors to tell his story. This also represents a great early film credit of playwright David Mamet who received an Oscar nomination for penning the screenplay. Additionally, the supporting cast is top notch as well which includes James Mason as the ferocious defense attorney for the Catholic diocese, Jack Warden as Newman's long suffering law partner, and Charlotte Rampling whose role is slightly flimsy, but is excellent nonetheless as a woman who figures into Newman's life. "The Verdict" can be seen as a top notch cast and crew giving their best work to a stellar, intelligent courtroom drama that avoids the trappings of the genre.

Glengarry Glen Ross

A group of real estate salesman are called in for a meeting on a Tuesday night and a sales motivator (Alec Baldwin) lays it on the line: There will be a sales contest, 1st place wins a Cadillac, 2nd a set of steak knives, and 3rd you're fired. As the salesman scramble to sell, we see the hotshot seller (Al Pacino) tries to close with an ineffectual businessman (Jonathan Pryce), two incensed employees (Ed Harris and Alan Arkin) contemplate a robbery scheme, and an old loser (Jack Lemmon) tries to bribe the office manager (Kevin Spacey) for the leads.  Directed by James Foley, "Glengarry Glen Ross" is a film crackling with vulgar, desperate dialogue. Adapted by David Mamet by his own play, the movie is vintage Mamet, stripped to its bare bones and containing no bullshit. We are guided by the poetry and the ferocity of Mamet's words, brought to life by the stellar cast. Baldwin's brutal, straight forward opening scene, which was written for the movie, sets the tone. Pacino and Harris are powerful in their roles and Lemmon is heartbreaking as the deluded and washed up salesman. Arkin and Spacey round up the cast nicely as well. David Mamet is one of my favorite screenwriters one because it is so blunt and engaging and two because of how well it draws an image in your head. "Glengarry Glen Ross" is quintessential Mamet and an acting showcase for some of our finest.

Oleanna

Oleanna is a confounding film made by David Mamet in 1994. Starring William H. Macy, it is essentially a two-man play brought to the screen. It tells of a female student going to her professor to ask for help in the class, and then later accusing him of sexual harassment. The dialogue, though written by Mamet, is redundant and seems never ending. It is also maddening because although it is obvious that both sides should have merit, it seems obvious that the professor is the victim and the student is actually the predator. Due to the lengthy dialogue and the staginess, this film seems to go on forever though the Mametspeak is fun.
**1/2

American Buffalo

I could upload a David Mamet movie to my I-Pod and listen to it while I exercise or drive. Mamet's prose is almost lyrical and it sounds like music when spoken by the right actors. American Buffalo is a 1996 adaptation of his hugely successful, vulgar, and terse 3-man stage play and stars Dustin Hoffman and Dennis Franz (Sean Nelson, an unknown plays the 3rd role). Largely set in a pawn shop owned by one of the characters, the three men devise a plan for getting back at a customer who ripped the store off on a recent purchase. As they plot, emotions and old wounds fester up and truths are ultimately revealed in their friendships. The film was not received well when it was released. I don't see how this could be a failure and the play a success considering they're basically the same thing. Admittedly, the film is not exactly what you would call cinematic, but again, I loved hearing the Mamet Speak as spoken by the actors and found this to be a nice retread into the tough world of Don's Pawn Shop.
***

Edmond

Edmond is an adaptation of a David Mamet play written for the screen by the great playwright himself. Like most Mamet works it contains harsh material and very distinct language, and like so many of his stage-to-screen adaptations, it seems like it may have worked better on the stage though it is still great fun to listen to the back-and-forth banter and the individual monologues. This film stars Mamet vet William H. Macy as a worn down middle-aged executive on the verge of a nervous breakdown who has just left his wife. After a foreboding encounter with a psychic and another with a strange man who gives him a business card and some cash, Macy descends into a hellish nightmare as he encounters prostitutes, pimps, con men, and worse. The material is disturbing to say the least, but like I said, the way that Mamet's words role off of his characters' tongues is like music to the ear.
***