Review of State and Main (2000) by Jonny B — 09 Nov 2011

I loved almost everything about this movie, it's a pleasant experience with loads of overlapping dialogue, witty dialogue, and warm characters. 'State and Main' has a cast that handles the dialogue well but I got the sense that Mamet was being a bit lazy in his chair, behind the monitor.

There is a scene that was not cut, amazingly, where one of the actors just stands there with no direction then haphazardly, as if awaking from a long slumber, chimes in a one-liner. These problems are to be expected with Mamet whose writing is gold and directing rust.

Trust Philip Seymour Hoffman to warm ones heart and very, very (cannot stress this enough), surprising that Mamet's muse Mrs. Pidgeon is sweet and loveable and not too esoteric and archaic in her acting methods.

'State and Main' is not a great movie by David Mamet's standards, but if I want to sit back and enjoy a comedy with clever commentary, dialogue to envy, and characters that I like, this light comedy is better than ninety-percent of the comedies produced today.

And one quote to give an idea of what to expect: 'It's the truth that you should never trust anybody who wears a bow tie. Cravat's supposed to point down to accentuate the genitals. Why'd you wanna trust somebody whose tie points out to accentuate his ears?'.