David Mamet and Redbelt

David Mamet dialogue is instantly recognizable with its tough talk, unnecessary confrontations, and numerous repetitions. Mamet the writer is justly celebrated as one of the best modern American writers, winner of the Pulitzer Prize for his play Glengarry Glen Ross. But his stage origins don’t always have cinematic sensibility. Mamet originally wanted to end The Verdict (A-) without a verdict. Director Sydney Lumet convinced him otherwise. Other directors have had great success with Mamet’s screenplays. The Untouchables (A-) is one of Brian de Palma’s best films; he hasn’t equaled it in the last 2 decades. Wag the Dog (B+) is the second best Barry Levinson film (next to Rain Man). Glengarry Glen Ross (B+) is easily James Foley’s best film.
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Mamet the director is often too faithful to his own dialogue. The screenplays which he chooses to direct invariably involve con men or some kind of bait-and-switch. He created a great plot with terrific dialogue in his directorial debut House of Games (A-), but the acting is occasionally wooden, particularly from Lindsay Crouse and Ricky Jay. As he is too faithful to his dialogue, Mamet is occasionally too loyal to his family and friends. Crouse was Mamet’s wife at the time and Ricky Jay was a friend with a required expertise in magic and the con game. Other Mamet regulars Joe Mantegna and William H. Macy never make a false step in Mamet’s films. (Paul Thomas Anderson must be a Mamet fan since he used Macy, Jay, and other Mamet-regular Jack Wallace in Boogie Nights). I do like the way Ricky Jay delivers Mamet’s dialogue, but it’ll take you out of the film(s).

In the early 90s, Mamet remarried, this time to Rebecca Pidgeon, who is just as stiff as Crouse in Mamet’s subsequent films, but particularly in The Spanish Prisoner (B+) since she is the female lead and has lots of screen time. This remains Mamet’s most assured bit of direction, with complex plotting of the characters (e.g. Steve Martin coming off the float plane) and steady pacing. Campbell Scott is earnest and honest as a company man whose intellectual property is being stolen. Mamet would go on to make the hilarious State and Main (B+), a send-up of Hollywood, where a film production overtakes a small New England town. While Heist (B-) had several twists too many, the little-seen Spartan (B) hits all the right notes as special agent Val Kilmer tries to track down a kidnapped daughter of a US official.

The problem with The Spanish Prisoner and Spartan is that the endings are underwhelming. This is most certainly not the case with Mamet’s latest gift to filmgoers: Redbelt (just released on DVD). Priest’s theatrical review is here. I’ll agree that Tim Allen is woefully miscast and some early plot contrivances are tough to believe. But the themes of honor, loyalty, and heroism haven’t been portrayed this well on film in a very long time. In an age where our “heroes” have dark shades of gray (Llewellyn Moss, Billy Costigan, Theo Faron, Tom Stall, Batman, etc.), Chiwetel Ejiofor’s Mike Terry is bright shining light of purity and goodness. While his actions may hurt those around him, he never loses his way or his principles. His interactions with Emily Mortimer are surprisingly touching and his refusal to sell out is inspiring. (Thankfully, Mamet reduces his wife to just a handful of lines this time out.) Terry’s a great character in a good film. On the DVD supplement material, Mamet compares Ejiofor to Henry Fonda since he can emote so well with his eyes. Big praise, to be sure, but deserved. It’s a great performance, one that I won’t soon forget. Redbelt: B+