Although it can't touch Gigli's dramatic fall from grace, which experienced an 82% fall in revenues in its second week, and was pulled from approximately 1700 theaters by its third week, Mamet's new film, Spartan is nonetheless itching to try. It's revenues were down 60% in its second weekend. But, it also is only in a mere 800 theaters (compared to Gigli which opened on over 2000 theaters). It takes time for a movie to finds its audience, and a big opening is one way to do that. Roger Ebert also praised the film, giving it four stars.
When David Mamet's films work, they're fantastic. And even when they don't quite work, like The Spanish Prisoner, they're still wonderful to behold. Glengary Glen Ross is fantastic, and The Heist is a great genre piece. But, his an acquired taste it seems like. Not everyone likes his storytelling, and particularly how he writes dialogue.
Posted by scott at March 25, 2004 07:51 AM | TrackBackSome of his movie dialogue sounds like he farmed it out to Michael Crichton to write, and if there's one thing worse than bad dialogue, it's endlessly-repeated b.d.
Also, where applicable (i.e., wherever she appears on-screen) lose Rebecca Pidgeon -- thankfully, I don't see her listed on credits for Spartan, so maybe it doesn't have that strike against it.
And if you still aren't turned off by a Mamet film, go see it in Cambridge where everybody in the theatre refers to him as "David" and seems to want to be overheard (during the movie, no less!) talking as if they are close personal friends of his. If he actually made movies, instead of filmed plays, I could excuse him and just be torqued w/them, but I have no time for any of them anymore.
Posted by: bob at March 25, 2004 08:11 AMIs Rebecca Pidgeon the female character in The Spanish Prisoner and the woman who betrays Hackman at the end of The Heist. I don't like her a whole lot. But I do love William H. Macy.
Posted by: scott cunningham at March 25, 2004 08:23 AMThat's her. I find her oddly appealing, if only because she always seems to be in an entirely different movie than everyone else. There's a certain nobility to that level of inattention.
Posted by: mesh at March 25, 2004 09:58 AMThat's her. To be fair, she was very good in The Winslow Boy, but I don't think that role was a s much a challenge for her as it was perfectly written for her.
Since Mamet writes and directs most of what she appears in, you might think he could do a better job of matching her to each role -- then again, maybe she just can't act beyond a rather narrow range and it is her fault.
Both films you mention above could, I think, have been great instead of just pretty good. I don't think Mamet is a horrible film-maker, just a really over-rated one.
Again, a Chrichton comparison: a great idea guy that has trouble making those great ideas work -- in Mamet's case, on film; in Crichton's case in books (ignoring the mediocre Crichton movies from his books).
Macy is OK. He doesn't get on my nerves as much as Buscemi or especially Spacey, who are similarly offbeat, but when I watch them (not Macy) I feel like they are constantly turning to the camera and winking rather than making me forget they ae not the character they are playing.
How's that for faint praise?
Posted by: bob at March 25, 2004 10:09 AMThat's a great observation, mesh! That is exactly how she usually seems.
Posted by: bob at March 25, 2004 10:11 AMGGR is an awesome movie for anyone with commision sales experience. Just captures the driven-depression aspect of it so well.
Posted by: Paul Baxter at March 25, 2004 11:52 AMI think she's probably in so many Mamet movies because she's married to him.
Posted by: gosey at March 25, 2004 12:08 PMGosey's theory of nespotism is probably correct.
Posted by: scott cunningham at March 25, 2004 12:29 PMUh, yeah -- sort of assumed that was a given.
Posted by: bob at March 25, 2004 01:14 PM(I was joking).
Posted by: scott cunningham at March 25, 2004 03:49 PM(I was responding to Gosey).
Posted by: bob at March 25, 2004 08:27 PM