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by Max Braden Published: March 12, 2004
I've been a big fan of Val Kilmer's work ever since I saw him ham it up in "Real Genius" and "Top Secret" in the mid '80s. I'd love to see him back in a comedic role, or at least something sharper than the glazed-over style he seems to have adopted since "The Doors," also evident recently in "Wonderland." (Fine enough performances, though I think his best was in "Tombstone.") I'm pleased to see that he's brought an edge to David Mamet's thriller "Spartan."Writer/director Mamet takes his usual minimal approach to telling the story: a girl is missing - get her back. The girl isn't immediately identified, but we grasp her importance from the men looking for her as they yell "WHERE'S THE GIRL!?!" at everyone they meet. She is the President's daughter, and she's been kidnapped. The vague storytelling works, barely, shaping a smart, lean and mean thriller. The movie opens on a special warfare training camp where newly recruited Ranger Curtis, played by Derek Luke ("Antwone Fisher") is trying to impress Val Kilmer's training instructor Master Gunner Scott. Sometimes military guys are obvious jarheads at first sight, but Kilmer's Scott is well suited for his job as a black ops man. He can wear a veil of disarmingly average posture, and then snap to room-controlling authority and violence without blinking. A self-described "worker bee," he's a doer who follows orders without question in a single-minded drive to complete the mission. His commitment to the goal frequently involves breaking any legal or ethical barriers that stand in the way. So the girl is kidnapped, and the Secret Service agent in charge (Clark Gregg, familiar to many for his reoccurring Secret Service role in a half dozen episodes of "The West Wing") brings in Scott and Curtis to assist. The tutor-protege relationship between the two is similar to that of Pacino and Farrell in last year's "The Recruit." Scott demonstrates tradecraft by example in cold, driven, unflinching style, while Curtis is still green and more ideological. Racing against the clock, they follow leads to the disturbing realization that the girl has been sold into a sex-slavery ring. Just as she seems within grasp, the nightly news announces that the body of the President's daughter has been found, the victim of a tragic accident. Scott returns to his quiet rural life without looking back. But Curtis can't let it go that easily, pointing to contradictory evidence, and a few well-placed bullets help send the message to Scott that blindly following orders isn't enough. Laura's existence may have become a nuisance for the president's handlers, and Scott may be her only chance at survival. (The film's title refers to the ancient city-state Sparta's practice of sending a single man in response to requests for military assistance.) He does receive some aide from a young special ops officer (played by Tia Texada) eager to see some action. The key to enjoying "Spartan" is David Mamet, whom audiences tend to love or hate. It's mostly a result of his dialogue. Mamet enjoys forcing his actors to include the hesitating speech elements that pepper everyday conversation but are usually left out of Hollywood films for slicker dramatic presentation. The problem is that when Mamet reaches for realism, he goes too far. We regularly tune out real-world "uhm"s and "uh"s because we're part of the conversation. From a third person point of view they sound more written than natural. "The Spanish Prisoner," "Heist" and "State and Main" all had an annoying repetitious cadence of casual speak ("You know they say..." - "Is that what they say? Yes, I guess it is...") that pops up here again and just doesn't feel suited to the characters. Mamet's style is simply too smart for it's own good, pulling the viewer out from the story, a director's faux pas. But Mamet fans seem to enjoy it, as well as those one-line zingers, of which there are some good ones here. There is a misstep or two: the investigators come across symbols left by Laura which at first imply some sort of autism important to the plot. When I saw the trailer I thought of Brittany Murphy's character in the Michael Douglas thriller "Don't Say A Word." But when Laura in presented on screen (played well by 23-year-old Kristen Bell) she is simply a frustrated girl fed up with her life who let herself party too hard for her own good. I also came into the movie thinking that William H. Macy plays the President, but he is in fact playing a presidential advisor, as is Ed O'Neill. The visuals are done well, but the musical score tends to muddle the tone, dragging on the otherwise quick pace. Overall I most enjoyed Kilmer and his character. He'd make a great pairing with Matt Damon's character in "The Bourne Identity." Think of "Spartan" as a grittier, older sibling. Unfortunately the movie isn't getting a fully wide release, but I'd recommend seeing this movie over the Johnny Depp competitor this weekend even if you're not the biggest Mamet or Kilmer fan. Grade: B Rated R for violence and language 1 hr 46 min. National theatrical release on March 12, 2004 Check out the official website And Then?... William H. Macy appears in the thriller "Cellular" in May; Val Kilmer appears in the epic "Alexander" in November; Derek Luke in "Friday Night Lights" and David Mamet directs "Whistle" next year. Read Related Articles: The Salton Sea | The Bourne Identity | 2004 Movie Planner | |
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