A
Riveting Thriller...
If
you are familiar with David Mamet's stories
(Glengarry Glen Ross, House of Games, Heist, The
Spanish Prisoner), you will be acutely aware of
two distinctive traits that set him apart from
the vast majority of storytellers. One is the
rat-a-tat-tat staccato dialogue that he employs
and the other is the labyrinthine structure to
his plots.
Like Woody Allen, he teeters on the precipice of
originality while desperately trying to avoid
imitating himself. It begs the question, 'Can
you be considered unique and original if you are
copying yourself?' Woody Allen has cornered the
market on neurotic relationship comedies set in
Manhattan in much the same way as David Mamet
has with con-game thrillers that have multiple
layers, twists and deceptions.
Mamet's previous directorial effort was 'Heist',
a film that I felt was so derivative of his
earlier work and so utterly predictable, that I
could not, in good conscience, recommend it. I
noted in my review that "If this was the first
Mamet film I had ever seen, it would have been
fresh and original and would be a strong
recommendation. Mamet needs to get over himself
and start creating new ways to entertain us."
With 'Spartan', he has succeeded in doing so.
This is a fresh and exciting yarn that isn't
weighed down by ridiculous plot twists and an
eye rolling Deus Ex Machina. This film manages
to be gripping while managing to stay firmly
rooted in reality and logic. I never felt
manipulated by plot contrivances or last minute
revelations. I never felt like I could predict
what would happen next. 'Spartan' is a great
story told by a maturing director who seems to
have tempered his need to twist us into
pretzels. Mamet has found a happy medium that
results in a plausible and riveting movie.
Val Kilmer plays a marine investigator who is
brought in on a kidnapping case. But this case
does not have an ordinary victim. The girl in
question is the daughter of the President of the
United States. Her secret service security
detail was suspiciously removed one night and
now she is gone. Kilmer begins to suspect that
she is somewhere in the Middle East about to be
sold as a sex slave to those who have a penchant
for young blonde American girls.
I won't take you through the details of the
investigation because that is the brilliance of
the movie. Mamet succeeds in mesmerizing the
audience with small details and possible clues.
He dangles the carrot in front of our faces from
credits to credits, never allowing us to see the
entire truth. He is the master of the slow
reveal. However, if you are tremendously
observant, there are tons of fun clues to be
picked up along the way.
There are some perfunctory plot twists and curve
balls toward the end of the film that could have
been a little more thorough. But, overall, the
story stays within the bounds of believability
and will have you constantly interested and
intrigued.
I have to note that Val Kilmer gives one of his
best performances here. He plays a rough and
weary operative who seems to have a worldliness
to him. The title of the film refers to his
character who is sent to do the job alone, much
like the Spartan warriors were said to have done
in Greek mythology. Another great performance in
the film belongs to Kristen Bell. I won't go
into any detail about her role so as to avoid
any spoilers, but needless to say, I think we
have seen a breakthrough performance from a
future star. She is fantastic here.
I must admit that I went into this film with
some trepidation that this was going to be
another Mamet maze that would get tiresome half
way through. It wasn't at all. Mamet's direction
is deft and often smirk-inducingly coy. He is
masterful at guiding the viewer's eyes to
various parts of the screen without using overt
camera movement. The film moves briskly from one
interesting scene to another. The littered clues
were fun to search for. The performances were
all stellar, including some of the smaller parts
played by such Mamet stalwarts as William H Macy
and Ed O'Neill. I was a little disappointed not
to see a token appearance by Rebecca Pidgeon.
'Spartan' treads much of the same ground covered
by inferior military thrillers such as 'The
General's Daughter' or 'Basic', but this movie
won't have you drumming your fingers or rolling
your eyes in disgust. It is a crafty story that
will sneak up on you in much the same way as one
of Mamet's slow reveals. I highly recommend this
film that is one of the best examples in its
genre.
©
Written by TC Candler
Richard
Propes' Comment
David
Mamet's thriller sparkles thanks to the
performance of Val Kilmer and Mamet's regulars.
A Mamet script can always be depended upon for
its interesting plot devices, however, Mamet
also has a tendency to get lost within those
devices. No such thing happens here, as the film
moves briskly and captivates from point one.
This sort of military/political thriller has
been done before, however, it has seldom been
done so satisfyingly.
Jacob
Hall's Comment
n/a
