Cast: Val Kilmer, Derek Luke, Tia Texada, William H. Macy, Ed O'Neill, Kristen Bell
Director: David Mamet
Producers: David Bergstein, Moshe Diamant, Art Linson, Elie Samaha
Screenplay: David Mamet
Cinematography: Juan Ruiz Anchia
Music: Mark Isham
U.S. Distributor: Warner Brothers
Often, the difference between liking a David Mamet picture and not liking it is related to how well the viewer acclimates to the unique cadence of the writer/director's dialogue. People in Mamet films don't talk the way they do in real life; their words, and the way they say them, are stylized. If you're unfamiliar with Mamet (who, in addition to making movies, is an award-winning playwright), this can be distracting. But the filmmaker employs this approach to remind us that he is trafficking in art, not reality.
Spartan is a political thriller much in the "Mamet thriller" mold. Like House of Games, The Spanish Prisoner, and Heist, this movie features a number of twists and turns, a few of which aren't remotely plausible, but which, if you go along for the ride, result in an entertainingly over-the-top tale of good, evil, sex, and betrayal (all the things we go to the movies for). In the process, Mamet makes a few damning observations about the cynical and dehumanizing nature of high-level politics. And, although some of Spartan's plot elements could be seen as contrived, the film's view of the electoral process is probably more on the mark than any of us would like to believe.
The story concerns the kidnapping of the President's daughter, Laura Newton (Kristen Bell). She is snatched from a nightclub near Harvard, where she is attending classes. Scott (Val Kilmer), a no-nonsense marine operative, has 48 hours to locate her before the media learns that she's missing. So, accompanied by a lone sidekick, Curtis (Derek Luke), he begins the investigation. Along the way, he isn't afraid to twist arms, violate suspects' civil rights, and fake a killing spree. He learns that Laura was not snatched for political reasons. Instead, she happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and has become a victim in a white slavery ring. But, just as he's closing in, fate deals him an unexpected blow.
Mamet keeps things moving, which is a necessary key to prevent us from dwelling too deeply on how far-fetched certain elements of the screenplay are. Only one scene really bothered me - a conversation between Scott and a female secret service agent. (This provoked some tittering at the screening I attended.) There's not a lot of action, but there's a fair amount of suspense. Oddly, I kept thinking how much Spartan reminded me of an episode of TV's "24." Considering the highly addictive nature of the television program, that's a compliment.
Spartan is devoid of big stars, unless you count Val Kilmer. At one point, Kilmer appeared poised to become an A-list name, but, lately, he has been doing smaller, more quirky projects. He's a solid actor, and he doesn't stumble over Mamet's dialogue. He looks convincing and speaks convincingly, and that's really all that's needed. William H. Macy and Ed O'Neill have small parts as government enforcers. Macy's role is left unexplained until late in the film; when he first appeared, I thought he was the President. (He's not.) Other familiar faces include Derek Luke and Tia Texada.
The political arena always makes for an interesting backdrop to a thriller, and Spartan is no exception. Strangely enough, this is the second film in a two-month period to concern what happens when a First Daughter goes AWOL. However, any comparisons between Spartan and Chasing Liberty would be pointless. Maybe it's because I'm jaded about politics, but the movie worked for me both as a commentary on the electoral process and as a slightly overcooked thriller.
© 2004 James Berardinelli