I Can't Find the Writer...

In these days of film, almost proudly marred by first-rate explosions and second-rate writing, the nuances of a great film are most often lost due to a sudden rush of testosterone, emphasizing the need of the male psyche to feel good about himself only when he blows up something that was that much bigger (sorry, bad visual joke) than the last guy who blew something up. Only when someone takes the time to put a little feeling and effort into a story do we see what is good about humankind. In an era plagued with sheer overkill in the emphasis of glitz and glamour, it's nice to see that someone like David Mamet could come to our rescue by writing something that may have taken more than two or three seconds to write. And how about that... we get a movie with a story. And a darn good one at that.

State and Main is a scriptwriter's movie. Those who dislike seeing movies on anything more than a platonic basis beware, because it might actually tweak a couple of brain cells in there somewhere. And God knows we don't want that in our movies. The little things in State and Main, the little, catchy jokes, the crosstalk, the quirky character traits, and even Mamet's sending up of directors (among other things) through William H. Macy's character were priceless little nuggets that really made this film for me. We've forgotten through the years of cranking up the special effects wattage that little touches really can make a superb film. Alec Baldwin's character seemed to be convinced of that. And if State and Main doesn't shift the imbalance at least a tiny bit, I'll be truly convinced that Hollywood has no soul. Let's just say I'm not holding my breath...

Walt Price (Macy) brought his film crew to Waterford, Vermont, after the citizens of the previous town they tried to shoot in hijacked "The Old Mill," the centerpiece of the film, and put it up for ransom. So, with their budget strapped they made a last-ditch effort to get their film in the can. But from the moment they stepped into town, Price's philosophy of "shoot first, ask questions later" went right out the "window." (Pun entirely intended)

Among Hollywood's contingent plowing its' way into this little hamlet is the film's author, Joseph Turner White (Philip Seymour Hoffman), a man so meek and polite that it seems as if he belongs in a town like this one (a brother loves dropping nasty hints). So meek and polite is White that he gets largely ignored until it is absolutely imperative for him to be present, mirroring an obtuseness that most of the invaders seem to possess. The film's stars, Bob Barrenger (Alec Baldwin, who seems to be falling in line performance-wise with the rest of the Baldwin clan) and Claire Wellesley (Sarah Jessica Parker, who is currently challenging Kathy Griffin at the top of the Annoy-o-Meter) both come with enormous salaries and a ton of baggage. I mean, Baggage. Now enter the culture clash.

The townsfolk, as a whole, seem to be largely unimpressed (with stars in their eyes, nonetheless) by the presence of the big Hollywood folk. The mayor, George Bailey (Charles Durning), is excited about the prospect of a movie being shot in his town, but is as equally reserved as everyone else. And don't think too hard about the name. Doug McKenzie and Ann Black (Clark Gregg and Rebecca Pidgeon, Mrs. David Mamet) are the resident fiances, McKenzie the local politician and Black a bookstore owner. Looking to score some political points, McKenzie turns an ear to anything he might be able to get his nose into. Black also heads up the local theater company in her spare time, a company that everyone seems to be involved in. Carla Taylor (Stiles) works for her dad (Ricky Jay) at the local deli, and in the process of working as the food delivery person for the crew, catches the eye of Bob Barrenger, who seems to have a way with the ladies... er, girls. When all Hades breaks loose, it's Bob, naturally, who has to be at the center of it. And you know we love to see Alec Baldwin take one on the chin... or forehead. If he doesn't want to take it, he can move to France... wait, he said he'd never do that, so never mind.

I've been waiting to see a pothole get a major multi-layered role in a film. And I must say that the pothole of State and Main does a fabulous job, breaking the tension in certain situations and acting as an instigator in others. Encore!

A step above the pothole are the performances of Hoffman and Pidgeon. They create some good sparks together without lighting a fire, as many a movie seems to like to do these days. Literally AND figuratively. Hoffman's White seems to be numb to the crass behavior of the Hollywood types, as an utterly sweet man, and is the only character in the picture that doesn't seem to belong to one side or the other. Pidgeon is equally good, obviously mismatched with Gregg's McKenzie, but someone who eventually succeeds in the "search for purity."

Macy does well as the schizophrenic director who is overbearing to a fault; he becomes a little grating at times, but that's exactly what his role is, and he plays it to a T. He does just enough to make you dislike him, but not hate him. The remaining cast members do their job very well; I don't want to spurn them, but noting every performance would gobble up most of my obviously precious time, which is why I'm sitting inside on a stunning Wednesday afternoon reviewing a movie.

The real star of the movie is Mamet. With a script like this one, he is the one that should be garnering fans as a burgeoning role model, rather than many of the dense, personality-challenged movie stars. But, even if that is the way things work, he's got a new fan in me. State and Main is relentlessly funny, but not overbearing. Director Mamet lets the characters act, for those who wanted to try (This means YOU, Alec Baldwin), and they deliver near-pitch perfect performances on almost every count. Any film that leaves a grin this wide on my face (sorry, another bad visual joke) must have a few things going for it. And in this case, it's quite a many.

OVERALL GRADE: A-