He goes so long without traditional narrative elements—the film has, at best, a roaming protagonist and Mamet doesn’t do much establish the ground situation as hint at one for smiles. Mamet doesn’t go for belly laughs in the script, he goes for nods and smiles. It works better, since he’s dealing with cynical Hollywood types in small town America.

Of course, it’s small town New England, so he can make sure the town’s residents are all quite literate.

For the most part, Philip Seymour Hoffman’s independent playwright turned Hollywood screenwriter is the protagonist. State and Main, the non-comic parts, is about his relationship with townsperson Rebecca Pidgeon. It’s a good on-screen romance… very classical. Mamet doesn’t know how to really finish it, turning Pidgeon into a nice Lady Macbeth at one point, but it’s otherwise excellent. Both Hoffman and Pidgeon are great.

But there’s no bad acting in the film. William H. Macy’s, Alec Baldwin, Julia Stiles, David Paymer, Lionel Mark Smith, Patti LuPone… everyone’s great. Mamet—doing a really mellow story—does exceeding well directing his cast.

Oh, and Sarah Jessica Parker? Great. I always forget she can be really good.

Clark Gregg’s small town slime bag’s fun too.

Very appropriate score from Theodore Shapiro.

The only complaint, besides the finale, is Mamet’s lack of establishing long shots. He never sets up the small town besides on street level.

CREDITS

Written and directed by David Mamet; director of photography, Oliver Stapleton; edited by Barbara Tulliver; music by Theodore Shapiro; production designer, Gemma Jackson; produced by Sarah Green; released by Fine Line Features.

Starring Philip Seymour Hoffman (Joseph Turner White), Rebecca Pidgeon (Ann), William H. Macy (Walt Price), Clark Gregg (Doug Mackenzie), Sarah Jessica Parker (Claire Wellesley), Alec Baldwin (Bob Barrenger), Julia Stiles (Carla), Charles Durning (Mayor George Bailey), Patti LuPone (Sherry Bailey) and David Paymer (Marty Rossen).

Related posts:

• Redbelt (2008, David Mamet)
• House of Games (1987, David Mamet)
• Magnolia (1999, Paul Thomas Anderson)
• Boogie Nights (1997, Paul Thomas Anderson)
• In Good Company (2004, Chris Weitz)

Well I have been busy with Dean and Mo Henry over the last few months working up title designs in collaboration with the films Editor Barbara Tulliver and 1st Assistant Editor Craig Hayes.

We are at final stages now on the main titles and they are now in post production for delivery this week.

Starring Al Pacino as Phil Spector, the HBO drama is centred on the relationship between Phil Spector and defense attorney Linda Baden (Helen Mirren), while the music business legend was on trial for the murder of Lana Clarkson.

We’ll post a release date when we all know more.

Al Pacino as Phil Spector

Don Cheadle’s at least an undercover cop who’s experiencing morality qualms as his superiors support one drug dealer over another, but Ethan Hawke’s just a scumbag. The film loves to use Catholic as an excuse for anything, like why Hawke and Lili Taylor have an endless supply of kids, one for whenever the film needs to emphasis Hawke’s money troubles.

Fuqua manages to keep Brooklyn’s Finest on schedule, if not on track. His Panavision composition doesn’t fail and, for a time, it seems like the film might squeak out one honest moment (the script’s a collection of movie cliches). But every opportunity it has, it squanders–most of these opportunities go to top-billed, non-lead Gere, whose story has at least two threads left unfinished, though only one of them really deserves any attention.

The supporting cast–Vincent D’Onofrio has a great cameo–is weak. Will Patton’s terrible, as is Ellen Barkin. Wesley Snipes plays a caricature, but is better than most of those around him (surprising since they’re all “Wire” alums).

Too bad they didn’t hire a “Wire” writer for a rewrite.

CREDITS

Directed by Antoine Fuqua; written by Michael C. Martin; director of photography, Patrick Murguia; edited by Barbara Tulliver; music by Marcelo Zarvos; production designer, Thérèse DePrez; produced by John Thompson, Elie Cohn, John Langley, Basil Iwanyk and Avi Lerner; released by Overture Films.

Starring Richard Gere (Eddie), Don Cheadle (Tango), Ethan Hawke (Sal), Wesley Snipes (Caz), Jesse Williams (Eddie Quinlan), Will Patton (Lieutenant Hobarts), Lili Taylor (Angela), Shannon Kane (Chantel), Brian F. O’Byrne (Ronny Rosario), Michael K. Williams (Red) and Ellen Barkin (Agent Smith).

Related posts:

• The Expendables (2010, Sylvester Stallone), the director's cut
• The Mechanic (2011, Simon West)
• Rambo (2008, Sylvester Stallone), the director’s cut
• Leaves of Grass (2009, Tim Blake Nelson)
• Streets of Blood (2009, Charles Winkler)

Instead of being a thoughtful, intellectual approach to the karate movie (that long moth-balled genre), Mamet tells a story where the cost of the philosophy–paid so much lip-service in the genre–often outweighs its rewards. Actually, for much of Redbelt, it’s hard to see where there’s any reward, but Mamet manages to show it and does it in an amazing, big, booming Hollywood way and turns in it in perfectly. Redbelt, at times, reminded me of Ghost Dog, but told straight.

Mamet does get to do the rousing fight scene here and it might be, given the importance in the story and for the protagonist, the best fight scene ever in a film. It’s not the most visually dynamic, but the gravity of it… the following will sound a little glib, but Mamet also might have made the best superhero movie ever here too.

The cast hurts nothing. Obviously, Chiwetel Ejiofor turns in an outstanding, amazing performance, but he always seems to turn in those performances so it’s no surprise. There’s a great scene, Mortimer’s first class at the jujitsu academy, where Ejiofor just sits there for a moment. It’s a quiet scene, played from Mortimer’s confused perspective, but Ejiofor’s expression alone tells the viewer the answer to her question, before she even asks it. Mortimer’s good too, with Mamet giving her three great big scenes. Alice Braga is also good, even though Mamet intentionally doesn’t give her big scenes. The Mamet Repertory Actors–Ricky Jay, Joe Mantegna and Rebecca Pidgeon–are all good in smaller roles. Tim Allen’s turn as a burning-out Hollywood star is excellent, but it’s some of the unknowns who turn in the most affecting supporting performances. Max Martini has a vocal role and he’s great, but Jose Pablo Cantillo–in a nearly silent role–is almost as good.

Mamet, at his best, can make anything excellent (I always forget he’s a far from prolific director), can turn a genre film into an essential. Redbelt is Mamet at his best.

CREDITS

Written and directed by David Mamet; director of photography, Robert Elswit; edited by Barbara Tulliver; music by Stephen Endelman; production designer, David Wasco; produced by Chrisann Verges; released by Sony Pictures Classics.

Starring Chiwetel Ejiofor (Mike Terry), Emily Mortimer (Laura Black), Alice Braga (Sondra Terry), Tim Allen (Chet Frank), Jose Pablo Cantillo (Snowflake), Rodrigo Santoro (Bruno Silva), Ricky Jay (Marty Brown), Joe Mantegna (Jerry Weiss), Rebecca Pidgeon (Zena Frank), David Paymer (Richard), Max Martini (Joe Collins) and John Machado (Augusto Silva).

Related posts:

• State and Main (2000, David Mamet)
• House of Games (1987, David Mamet)
• Streets of Blood (2009, Charles Winkler)
• Magnolia (1999, Paul Thomas Anderson)
• Boogie Nights (1997, Paul Thomas Anderson)

STARRING Paul Giamatti, Bryce Dallas Howard, Jeffrey Wright, Bob Balaban, M. Night Shyamalan, Freddy Rodríguez, Bill Irwin, Jared Harris, Doug Jones
WRITTEN BY M. Night Shyamalan
PRODUCED BY M. Night Shyamalan, Sam Mercer, Jose L. Rodriguez, John Rusk
DIRECTED BY M. Night Shyamalan

SHOT BY Christopher Doyle
EDITED BY Barbara Tulliver
MUSIC BY James Newton Howard
DISTRIBUTED BY Warner Bros. Pictures

Screened 2006-09-30

M. Night Shyamalan’s fifth film, his proclaimed fairy tale, is decidedly average. A few personal Night’s-pat-on-Night’s-back inclusions are: himself acting as, arguably, the most important character in the film, the true purpose of the fairy tale (which, surprisingly, is presented and discarded awfully quickly, crippling its own ultimate relevance), a young writer whose work is destined for once-in-a-millennium greatness (groan…); and, the rather unnecessary humiliation and grisly murder of a film critic – strangely, the only death in the film. Now you needn’t wonder why the film has been universally panned. Other characters include Night’s usual two-dimensional backwater, with not a trace of identity beyond their own screen time. Characters exist, are defined, by their roles in this one story, in the same way that the world they inhabit, the apartment complex itself, exists to serve no purpose but this particular fairy tale. The way the film is shot confuses me…I don’t know why Night wants us to focus on what he points his camera at…and that’s how the narrative feels as well. Like its got a story somewhere around (Night is not untalented), but has somewhat missed the mark.

Shyamalan is a student of Spielberg and Hitchcock. He wants to create magic. But he is also the child of the age of existentialism, so his magic will be based in the human condition (i.e. healing through catharsis). Unfortunately, by the end his characters play second fiddle to his story, which appears to be universally hailed as inanely convoluted (no argument here), and in the end, nobody is sure why we should care about it. Part psycho-drama, part fairy tale, but not enough of either; imbalanced. The very importance of the fairy tale aspect of the story (the writer’s work being brought to the masses) – the very crux of the entire fairy tale!! – is barely given enough screen time to justify its own existence. When you leave the theater and try to piece the tale together, it will take a moment of backtracking to remember why his fairy tale occurs at all. Throughout the film, Night reminds us that each person has a purpose in this world, though it may not be what we first expect. If that holds true, I submit that Night’s place could be in making movies (as I said, he is not untalented) – but perhaps not in writing them.

written by David Ashley