The reason I've always admired David Mamet is that he isn't afraid to be different. He's got a Pulitzer Prize in his pocket and instead of churning out pretentious art films full of literary references, he likes to tell stories about street-smart hoods and tough guys who like to con for money or walk around with twelve-gage shotguns. His latest film, SPARTAN, is classic Mamet. Great plot, decent direction, solid performances from a group of talented actors, and dialogue that could only have been written by him.


As good as SPARTAN is, I don't think there's a talent in Hollywood more brilliant yet incredibly frustrating than Mamet. In my book, it's really no contest. Anyone who's seen HOUSE OF GAMES, HEIST, or any of his other movies knows the guy is smart, and can throw together a plot so complex and unpredictable it'd make Raymond Chandler's head spin. But then there's his signature staccato dialogue, so sharp it can cut right through reality and place us in a world we know could only be his creation. Don't get me wrong -- most of the lines he writes are brilliant and some of his one-liners are so witty they'll fly right over the heads of most audiences, but his downfall is that almost all of his characters speak in the same crisp style. It's cool when a couple of guys in the know shoot words back and forth at one another like some sort of lyrical poetry, but when everyone starts doing this it becomes more of a distraction than anything else.

On the upside, SPARTAN only falls into this pattern on a few occasions, and there's enough wit involved that I was able to allow the annoying stuff to pass by without taking me out of the story. In fact, the plot moves along at such a rapid pace and is so engaging, it'd be difficult to not stay interested. I'd much rather see a flawed but ambitious film than a perfectly dull one.


If you keep a close eye on the screen you'll notice at one point Val Kilmer (who plays a special-forces Marine-type) walks past a wall with a faded, half-torn poster for the movie SOLDIER. I wasn't a big fan of this Kurt Russell film, but I absolutely loved the offhand reference and the way it relates to Kilmer's character. At the beginning, when he's called in to help get back the President's daughter before the press gets wind of her abduction, he's like a machine that strictly follows orders without stopping to ask why. However, as the story progresses he begins to realize things aren't so simple and that taking action without understanding the reasons can be dangerous and even counterproductive. Sound familiar?

Clearly, the story serves as an allegory for post-September 11th Americans, who have blindly followed the lead of a President without stopping to ask important questions first. At face value, SPARTAN is a simple and straightforward thriller, but its underlying themes about violence and politics are why I was able to walk away feeling so satisfied. Well, that and the fact that most of the action sequences are extraordinarily well done.

Posted March 14, 2004 | link