Review of State and Main (2000) by Brandon H — 21 Apr 2011

Having seen over a dozen Mamet-written films now, I have certain expectations when I slide one into my DVD player. I anticipate a little bit of overly-timed dialogue and awkward acting. But I also expect great wit from the writing, a complex and layered plot, and I expect to be surprised multiple times. It's difficult to enjoy film after film from the same screenwriter and director once your expectations are so high.

Take the Coen brothers for example. They have created three of the greatest movies I have ever seen, two of which I would venture to say are flawless films. So when they make a movie like "True Grit," which by any other director might be a masterpiece, I can't help but be disappointed. I know they're capable of transcendent films.

Something similar is true of David Mamet. I've cherished "Glengarry Glen Ross" since I was old enough to see it. I could probably recite most of it from memory right now if I tried. I know how brilliant of a writer he can be. So movies like "Edmond" and "House of Games," movies that don't quite meet greatness but might be great in someone else's canon, are again disappointing.

All that said, "State and Main" might be one of the former brilliant films. It delivers everything I'd hoped for from a Mamet movie yet so much more. The lines are smart, one after the other, and they just feel right. Even those that trail off. As Bob Barringer (Alec Baldwin) passes the phone to the director (William H Macy), Bob says, "Here. He wants to talk about..." The director takes the phone and says into the receiver, "I'll call you right back" and hangs up. We never find out what the man on the other end wants to talk about. And it doesn't matter; it makes the moment so authentic I can hardly accept I'm watching a film.

These little moments make up the fabric of "State and Main," they're everywhere. They overlap and intertwine until they've constructed a dynamic, hilarious film with many sustained character arcs.

The acting is almost across the board impeccable. This includes the usually lowly Sarah Jessica Parker, who is not only good-looking in this film, but shows a glimpse of the SJP we might have known: a serious, smart actress. Instead we've lost her to high heels and big-budget stupidity.

"State and Main" is essentially about about big city (immoral) folk finding a place in-- or trashing-- the small town folks (moral). The overriding purity theme borders on pushing the film into meta territory, but doesn't quite break the plane as much as to cause an actor to wink at the camera, which I believe is a good thing. So it's a standard setup, but the conflicts that flourish in the film cause consistent and rising tension, along with a great deal of funny moments. If you like Mamet, you will like State and Main. It shows a "lighter" side of a usually very dark and serious writer.