I'm not planning on writing full-fledged reviews[2]; I'd rather consider them reviewlets™.
This weeks movie: Spartan.Directed and written by David Mamet
Starring Val Kilmer, Derek Luke, William H. Macy, Ed O'Neill
Spartan was fairly well received when it was released in theaters in the spring of 2004, but it didn't do much business. Which is a pity, because it is a great movie.
The story is a fairly ordinary spy thriller: The president's daughter is kidnapped, and Val Kilmer's US agent (of an unspecified agency) is tasked with getting her back. It is not so much the story that makes this an excellent movie, but rather the way the story is told.
Many persons find the rhythm of Mamet's dialogue to be a bit grating, but I found it to be rather intriguing. It worked well with the overall tone of the movie. The score, camera angles, pacing, acting...it all comes together to create what could otherwise have been a bland and unoriginal thriller.
Overall an excellent movie. Towards the end it becomes a bit too preachy in critiquing cynicism in politics, but it doesn't take too much away from the movie as a whole.
[1] "... of the Week" does in no way suggest this will be a weekly feature. Rather, it means "whenever I feel like it."
[2] And may it never be said I'm a good reviewer. Here's my review of X-Men: The Last Stand: "Okay."
