Mamet turns in sharply written entertainment with 'Heist?

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"Heist"|ret||ret||tab|

Directed by: David Mamet|ret||ret||tab|

Starring: Gene Hackman, Rebecca Pidgeon, Delroy Lindo, Danny DeVito|ret||ret||tab|

Rated: R|ret||ret||tab|

Over the years this column has often sung the praises of smaller films that might slip through the cracks in this megaplex-driven world. So, I'm embarrassed that one such film slipped by without notice here. |ret||ret||tab|

Based on a novel by someone named Harry Potter (I think), the film is in "limited" release and is apparently playing in Springfield already. These things don't stay around long and I'm sure it's a worthy viewing. |ret||ret||tab|

Good luck to Mr. Potter with his first film ...|ret||ret||tab|

On the other hand, David Mamet's latest offering, "Heist," is here as well. |ret||ret||tab|

Based on the classic heist/caper/con formula, the film one-ups other recent releases in the genre ("The Score") by having been written by Mamet, one of Hollywood's finest, most intelligent authors. |ret||ret||tab|

A playwright first and foremost, Mamet came to films by writing great screenplays like "The Verdict" and "Glengarry Glen Ross." |ret||ret||tab|

He turned to directing his own work and has done a fine job with "House of Games," "The Spanish Prisoner" and "Things Change." Mamet is an anomaly in the motion picture business, being a gifted writer who's also proven himself behind the camera. |ret||ret||tab|

One can only imagine what might have happened if Hollywood in the 1940s and 50s had given people like Tennessee Williams and Eugene O'Neill the chance to direct their own screenplays.|ret||ret||tab|

As always, Mamet cast his new film with the best actors around. Rebecca Pidgeon (Mrs. Mamet in real life) always gets the benefit of having her husband write parts especially for her, and she has never disappointed. |ret||ret||tab|

In a film featuring the likes of Gene Hackman, Delroy Lindo and Danny DeVito, Pidgeon stands out and nearly steals the show.|ret||ret||tab|

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One last caper'|ret||ret||tab|

In truth, though, it's Hackman's film.|ret||ret||tab|

He plays Joe Moore, a stereotypical (and I don't mean that in a bad way) Hollywood "one last caper" sort of guy. From cons to cops, the "last hurrah" approach is a standard now, and audiences never seem to tire of it. Nor do we tire of a good heist premise.|ret||ret||tab|

Joe and his crew have just pulled off a pretty big job with only one hitch: Joe's image was caught on a surveillance camera. |ret||ret||tab|

He wants to hang it up and retire to South America with his wife (Pidgeon) and live the good life he deserves. |ret||ret||tab|

Mickey Bergman (Danny DeVito) is the orchestrater of Moore's affairs, and he has other plans. There's one big job left to be done, and Mickey manipulates things by way of Mamet's intricately weaving plotline to make it impossible for Joe and company NOT to take on the work. |ret||ret||tab|

He also throws a monkey wrench into the plan by insisting his young, hot-headed nephew be part of the crew. The young hothead teamed with the seasoned, about-to-retire pro is another old trick, but Mamet loves playing with clichs and he's one of the few writers who can still pull it off with any degree of freshness.|ret||ret||tab|

The job involves robbing a Swiss plane of its gold bullion. "Heist" was made before Sept. 11 and some of the scenes set at the airport will no doubt have audiences protesting, "Oh, that couldn't happen NOW ..." |ret||ret||tab|

Mamet's writing is as sharp as usual the gang really seems to know each other and they use hand signals in the same cryptic way baseball teams do. While some of the dialogue seems a bit stilted early on, "Heist" has a great number of classic quips that will surely become part of the lexicon. |ret||ret||tab|

When Joe says he really doesn't need any money, Mickey replies, "Everybody needs money! ... That's why they call it money!" |ret||ret||tab|

Someone points out to Joe's wife that no one lives forever and her response is, "Frank Sinatra gave it a shot." My personal favorite is spoken by Joe when he explains, "I don't try on a pair of shoes without a backup plan." |ret||ret||tab|

Mamet's a wordsmith, and it's great to see into a world dominated by phrases such as "WHASSUUUUP?!"|ret||ret||tab|

To try and explain the rest of the plot would not only be an exercise in futility but a disservice to anyone who wants to see this pretty great, well written and finely plotted film.|ret||ret||tab|

As for that Harry Porter, Henry Potter thing I missed, I guess it will eventually come out on video.|ret||ret||tab|

(Jim Wunderle works at Associated Video Producers and is a Springfield free-lance writer and musician.)[[In-content Ad]]