Running time: 104 minutes
Starring: Val Kilmer, Derek Luke, Tia Texada, William H. Macy, Ed O' Neill
Rating 5 out of 10
Widely regarded as America's greatest living playwright, David Mamet's films, from House of Games to The Spanish Prisoner, usually revolve around con artists and scams where the audience's enjoyment is derived from trying to piece together the many clues presented in as cryptic a manner as possible. Spartan echoes Mamet's script for Wag The Dog, being a political thriller about cover-ups in high places, and while it will please longstanding fans of the writer/director, the so-what factor is likely to prevent it from gaining wider appeal.
Val Kilmer stars as Scott, a tough, no-nonsense Army special officer who says little but is hugely respected by his colleagues and superiors. Scott trains the cream of the cream in SAS-style tactics, among them Curtis (Derek Luke) and Jackie (Tia Texada), two soldiers who are desperately keen to impress Scott and join him on his next mission. Scott is called away from his training by his superior officer Burch (Ed O' Neill), who has a sensitive and ultra-secret case for him to work on.
It transpires that a girl has been kidnapped by a gang dealing in the trade of prostitutes from the US to the Middle East. Unbeknownst to the gang, their victim this time is none other than the daughter of the President of the United States, and it's Scott's role to get her back. It's a tricky job, as double-cross upon double-cross unfolds and Scott learns that his mission may not be as black and white as he initially thinks.
Mamet's trademark dialogue is all in place, with characters speaking to each other in cryptic sentences (most of which seem to repeated at least twice). This is a screenplay which keeps the audience guessing, although the sparse nature of the dialogue is akin to bad Pinter at times. Mamet is not afraid to exploit outrageous coincidence, notably when Curtis turns up to lure Scott back to the mission. William H. Macy is credited as starring, but he only pops up intermittently, with his true purpose being revealed only in the film's closing moments.
Spartan is a cold film, and it's difficult to warm to any of the characters or become emotionally involved in their predicament. This is deliberate, as Mamet wants to show the intricacies of the Secret Service and the mechanics of their operations. However, when you peel away the Mamet factor, it's just another Hollywood blockbuster disguised as something arty: replace Ben Affleck or Bruce Willis for Kilmer and you have another forgettable rescue film. The men are distinctly macho, the women are one-dimensional - a return to one of his intriguing heist or scam movies would have been far preferable. While it will please his devotees, it's unlikely to win any new fans.
Val Kilmer stars as Scott, a tough, no-nonsense Army special officer who says little but is hugely respected by his colleagues and superiors. Scott trains the cream of the cream in SAS-style tactics, among them Curtis (Derek Luke) and Jackie (Tia Texada), two soldiers who are desperately keen to impress Scott and join him on his next mission. Scott is called away from his training by his superior officer Burch (Ed O' Neill), who has a sensitive and ultra-secret case for him to work on.
It transpires that a girl has been kidnapped by a gang dealing in the trade of prostitutes from the US to the Middle East. Unbeknownst to the gang, their victim this time is none other than the daughter of the President of the United States, and it's Scott's role to get her back. It's a tricky job, as double-cross upon double-cross unfolds and Scott learns that his mission may not be as black and white as he initially thinks.
Mamet's trademark dialogue is all in place, with characters speaking to each other in cryptic sentences (most of which seem to repeated at least twice). This is a screenplay which keeps the audience guessing, although the sparse nature of the dialogue is akin to bad Pinter at times. Mamet is not afraid to exploit outrageous coincidence, notably when Curtis turns up to lure Scott back to the mission. William H. Macy is credited as starring, but he only pops up intermittently, with his true purpose being revealed only in the film's closing moments.
Spartan is a cold film, and it's difficult to warm to any of the characters or become emotionally involved in their predicament. This is deliberate, as Mamet wants to show the intricacies of the Secret Service and the mechanics of their operations. However, when you peel away the Mamet factor, it's just another Hollywood blockbuster disguised as something arty: replace Ben Affleck or Bruce Willis for Kilmer and you have another forgettable rescue film. The men are distinctly macho, the women are one-dimensional - a return to one of his intriguing heist or scam movies would have been far preferable. While it will please his devotees, it's unlikely to win any new fans.
