Spartan

[bunsen burner]

Movie starring Val Kilmer. Anyone seen it? What's it like? What would you compare it to?

[sandeano]

Val Kilmer may be the star, but it is written and directed by David Mamet who corrals his actors into working strictly with his exact dialouge, its rythyms and cadences.

Often actors are more than happy to read his lines, such as the cast of Glengarry Glenn Ross, House of Games and Oleanna but other times the stars feel contricted and little more than puppets. Case in point was Gene Hackman in Heist. Hackman hated the experience of being so confined by the words, but professional as he is, his performance is still a sturdy one.

So my point is, look at Spartan as a Mamet film and if you like his work, buy yourself a ticket, it is a good, solid example of his stuff.