Homicide [1991] dir David Mamet

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Homicide (1991)


http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102048/

Homicide is a crime drama written and directed by David Mamet, and released in 1991. The film's cast includes Joe Mantegna, William H. Macy, and Ving Rhames. It was entered into the 1991 Cannes Film Festival.


Joe Mantegna ... Bobby Gold
William H. Macy ... Tim Sullivan
Vincent Guastaferro ... Lt. Senna
J.J. Johnston ... Jilly Curran
Jack Wallace ... Frank
Lionel Mark Smith ... Charlie Olcott
Roberta Custer ... Cathy Bates
Charles Stransky ... Doug Brown
Bernard Gray ... James
Paul Butler ... Commissioner Walker
Colin Stinton ... Walter B. Wells
Louis Murray ... Mr. Patterson
Christopher Kaldor ... Desk Sergeant
Linda Kimbrough ... Sgt. Green
Robin Spielberg ... Records Officer


Mamet's aim with this, his third directorial effort, seemed to be to take elements from conventional pictures—namely, police procedurals—and place them in the framework of a story dealing with issues of identity, conspiracy, and duty. As is common, the end result was more of a success with critics than audiences. Prominent among all else in the film is Mamet's trademark dialogue, especially the verbiage among authority figures, where much is revealed through both soliloquy and invective. This is said to be best typefied in two scenes: the first occurs at the beginning, where in the midst of dressing down Gold, a black official calls him a kike, raising the ire of both Gold and Sullivan; the second—perhaps the most talked-about moment in the film—occurs during a phone conversation Gold has with Sullivan in the study of the doctor's office, where he spews forth a startling tirade of profanity and anti-Semitic insults, little knowing that the dead woman's granddaughter is in the room and is listening to every word. Bobby also in a moment of rage at the death of Sullivan, calls Randolph a nigger, with Randolph bellowing back kike. The conspiracy angle, if not successfully drawn up by the author (to the audience's satisfaction, at least), allows Mamet to, once again, return to his favorite device, the confidence game, at the film's conclusion, unleashing one final grand revelation.

Also includes documentary of actors from the film discussing why David Mamet is so great to work with