State and Main
Joe's Preview Review
A new David Mamet film, he can not write a bad script. He
spins amazing tales, a wizard of the typewriter.
Joe's Review
Anytime I hear William H. Macy's in a movie, I know I'll see
at least one good performance in a film. When you add in
Phillip Seymour Performance, that makes it two. When David
Mamet is at the helm, you know two of the best American
actors working today will having an amazing script to work
with directed by a director who knows what to do with it,
himself.
After making the mystifying, dazzling masterpiece The Spanish
Prisoner (my favorite film of '97) and following that up
in '99 with The Winslow Boy which made my top ten for '99, I
of course had high expectations for this film. He was going
back to his more comedical satirical flavor that he used for
the politically charged Wag The Dog. While most of that film
was spent satirizes Hollywood , all of State and Main is
spent satirizes the in, outs, and idiosyncrasies of the
people running the movie biz.
The base of the story is normal. A crew has been forced to
move its shooting location and they find a small town in
Vermont to shoot in. William H. Macy is the veteran director,
Hoffman is the first-time screenwriter, Alec Baldwin is the
trouble plagued star who brings in the box office receipts,
and Sarah Jessica Parker is his high profile costar.
The first thing I noticed watching the film was a Boogie Nights /
Magnolia / Paul Thomas Anderson reunion with Bill,
Phil, and Ricky Jay. The background guys who gathered much
of their early acclaim from Boogie Nights especially Hoffman
have made it to the forefront with more prominent roles. Good
actors know where they make good movies. That's with good
filmmakers. Macy is brilliantly savvy as the veteran
filmmaker. Hoffman is also brilliant, as usual. That's all I
can say about him every time I see him. He can do no wrong. I
think I said that in my Almost Famous review also.
Hoffman's character falls for the local beauty, Annie, who
happens to be a brilliant writer on the side played
beautifully by (Rebecca Pidgeon). It's one of those rare
positive, strong, empowering roles for women that doesn't not
go overboard and get preachy. Erin Brockovich is one of those
overboard roles. Annie becomes the abused writer's muse and
allows him to pump out what he needs to pump out.
The cast is great. The movie is funny while witty
and completely enjoyable. A definite reccomendation.
Rating 3.5 out of 4 Stars
Reviewed by: Joe Soria
Running Time: 106 minutes
Rated R for language and brief sexual images
Starring: William H. Macy, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Alec
Baldwin, Sarah Jessica Parker, Rebecca Pidgeon, Julia Stiles
Written and Directed by: David Mamet (The Winslow Boy, The
Spanish Prisoner)