Spartan (2004)
Starring Val Kilmer, Derek Luke, William H. Macy and Ed O’Neil.
Written and Directed by David Mamet
107 minutes.
Rated R.
Don’t feel bad if you haven’t heard of Spartan, few people have. The film was released early this year with barely any distribution or publicity behind it. It’s too bad too, because Spartan is one of the best films of 2004.
Written and directed by David Mamet, this spy caper will
keep you guessing and on the edge of your seat until the end. If you like Mamet’s work then you’ll
probably love this film. The dialogue
especially oozes Mamet’s razor sharp wit. If you’re new to Mamet, or don’t even
know who he is then you’ll be in for a ride.
Mamet started as a playwright and has since gone on to write and direct
some amazing films. My personal
favorite is his screenplay for the Anthony Hopkins, Alec Baldwin
lost-in-the-woods story The Edge.
Most famously he is known for the screenplay of his own play, Glengarry
Glen Ross, and the screenplays for Ridley Scott’s Hannibal and
Levinson’s Wag the Dog.
To say too much of Spartan is to give it away, so I’ll keep it simple. Val Kilmer plays a federal agent of some kind, it’s never really made clear for whom. He is soon assigned to help rescue a girl, who it’s later revealed is the President’s daughter. Saying more would not be fair to the viewer.
The film starts off in typical Mamet fashion. Characters are not properly introduced, settings are unclear, and it’s almost as if the viewer has been dropped into a film already half way in progress. But before too long everything starts to fall into place. Don’t let the beginning scare you off.
This is a high tech caper film for the age of terrorism. Motives of the President and his men can be seen as having direct links to current events. At one time someone shouts, “This is World War Three!,” a clear reference to the “war on terrorism.” And that is part of why the film works so well. Because while the story itself seems a little unlikely, the actions and motives of those involve seem all too real. Mamet is making a statement that is hard to miss.
Hopefully, Spartan will have a good, long life at the video stores. In a year that is so far pretty disappointing for films, this one is a real treat. The performances are excellent, especially by Kilmer, the dialogue is sharp and funny, and the style is cool and slick. This is a fun film for serious people. Look for it on many “best of” lists at the end of the year.
Grade: A
Written by David Bohnert