DAVID MAMET'S SPARTAN

Spartan
Chicago Sun-Times
Roger Ebert
"...[Mamet] is a magician
Chicago Tribune
Mark Caro
"...[a] skilled exercise in a familiar genre..." . glowing blue-gray cinematography .

E! Online
"...constantly engaging and challenging..." more...

filmcritic.com
Christopher Null
"...Mamet's skill with psychological mysteries pays off big time.." more...
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Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Sean Axmaker
"...his dialogue, and Kilmer's underplayed intensity, gives the film an engaging gravitas." more...







March 12, 2004
Starring Val Kilmer, William H. Macy, Ed O'Neill, Derek Luke, Kristen Bell. Directed by David Mamet. (R, 106 minutes). David Mamet may not be a great filmmaker, but with this moody political thriller he proves himself, once again, to be a thrillingly competent one. His tightly coiled plot and swift, economical direction shows up the that afflict most Hollywood suspense pictures these days, and the many little touches of Mametude — jagged one-liners, swaggering repartee, William H. Macy — make it unusually flavorful. Val Kilmer, his sorrowful cool nicely suited to the fiercely stylized acting Mr. Mamet requires, plays a secret agent who must rescue the kidnapped daughter of a prominent politician. The plot's twists and turns ultimately lead nowhere very interesting, but for much of its running time the picture hums along beautifully, fueled by a potent mix of technical assurance and professional braggadocio. — A. O. Scott, The New York Times


Starring: Val Kilmer, Derek Luke, William H. Macy,
Director: David Mamet
Release Date: March 12th, 2004
Studio: Warner Bros.



As is so often the case with movies of this kind, those questions are much more intriguing than the answers, and in its last 40 minutes ''Spartan'' starts to seem as battered and fatigued as its hero. BUT DON'T LET THAT STOP YOU. LEAVE EARLY. THE MOVIE IS GREAT.



The dialogue, a barrage of on-the-job boilerplate hissed and barked into cellphones and wrist radios, bristles with carefully diagrammed wisecracks and spiky tough-guy koans. William H. Macy, a native speaker of Mametese, strides through a few scenes in near silence, but his presence certifies the movie as authentic Mamet product.

And Mr. Kilmer's cool, intellectually brilliant watchful is well suited to Mr. Mamet's approach to language and acting. The stylized Mamet language is as mystery to us all.

DON'T MISS HOUSE OF GAMES


Mr. Kilmer speaks with the expected precision, but his face tells another story.
Like many other inhabitants of Mr. Mamet's universe -- the con man in ''House of Games,'' ' the thieves in ''Heist'' -- Scott is something of an actor, quickly assuming new identities and states of feeling when the job requires it and sloughing them off when they no longer serve an immediate practical purpose.

OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. IN ANY CASE, THIS IS ONE OF THOSE MOVIES YOU HOPE YOU NEVER FORGET.

THE TITLE FOOLED EVERYONE. MAMET SHOULD HAVE KNOWN BETTER. PEOPLE THOUGHT IT WAS AN EPIC. SAME THING HAPPENED TO SNATCH.