Plot: What’s it about?
Very few writers have the raw, natural talent of David Mamet. Known more for his writing than his directing, he has churned out countless scripts that have captured our imaginations. While one of his recent directing efforts piqued my interest, The Spanish Prisoner (hey…if you can turn Steve Martin into a respectable bad guy, you have to be talented), State and Main comes close in terms of how witty and smart Mamet is, on both sides of the camera. While some may see it merely as a movie about “making a movie”, I feel that it works on many more levels than that. After being kicked out of a lovely little town in New Hampshire, the crew of “The Old Mill” is looking for a new, picturesque location to film. They have found it in Waterford, Vermont. So this begs the question, what happens when big time Hollywood players come to a small, country town in the middle of nowhere? How will they interact and what (if anything) will happen? The town is more than happy to welcome the crew into their small town and more than willing to let them use it for their movie. The writer, Joseph Turner White (Phillip Seymour Hoffman) is adapting his book into a screenplay and is in his first movie. White, destined to have a good career as a screenwriter/author isn’t used to the antics, attitudes and egos of Hollywood; so it’s understandable that he feels a bit out of place. Ironic, though how he feels out of place in a place where everyone should feel out of place!
The rest of the crew are the major stars of the movie, with the other half of the stars being the town people. It’s what we like to call an “ensemble” cast! Alec Baldwin plays Bob Barrenger, who is essentially himself. Barringer has had troubles with the law and seems to have a thing for teenage girls, but aside from being totally ignorant of anyone but himself, he’s still a popular actor and perfect for the part. The director, Walt Price (William H. Macy) essentially runs the show, but as phony and transparent as he is, he still manages to get the job done. He talks endlessly on his cell phone, barks out orders, fixes problems, causes problems and in the end…what’s he got? Claire Wellesley (Sarah Jessica Parker) is another actress who has agreed to do a nude scene and signed a contract for $3 million dollars. Now, though, she has had a change of heart and refuses to do the scene…unless they throw another $800,000 at her! So we know the characters, we know what kind of people they are, but what is everything all about? Aside from the clever dialogue and the good acting, I suppose you can say the movie is about what they’re making the movie (within the movie) about. Second chances. Not any one of us are perfect, and certainly not any character in this film. However, each of use has a second chance to get things right. Though as they put it in the movie, “Each of us gets a second chance to make the same mistake again”.
The truth is that there are about five independent plots going on and they all loosely tie into the same central plot (to get the movie made). This seems to be a central plot theme these days, but it still works and especially on a movie like this. The cast seems to relax and have fun with their roles, from seasoned actors like Charles Durning and David Paymer, to newcomers like Julia Styles and Phillip Seymour Hoffman. State and Main really clicked for me, that’s not to say that it will for you. But odds are that if you’re a fan of David Mamet, and odds are that you’ve seen several of his movies whether you know it or no, you’ll want to give it a spin. If you’re in the mood for quirky, smart humor, I think that State and Main should give you just what you’re looking for.
Video: How does it look?
I feel that I’m starting to sound like a broken record here, but once again New Line has done it with their transfer of State and Main. Presented in it’s original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1, New Line has given us another staggering transfer, also included is a full-frame version if you feel the need to watch a movie being chopped off at the sides and not looking as clear as the anamorphic version. The choice is yours. Being a new movie to DVD, it’s understandable that we’re expected to think that the film will look good. It does. I saw this movie at a dollar theater and wasn’t that impressed, but more and more films on DVD are looking better and better (and better than a dollar theater movie, that’s for sure). The colors are crisp, clean and vibrant. Artifacting is non-existent and there is only the slightest bit of edge enhancement during some outdoor scenes. All in all, it’s another testament to how much care New Line takes with their titles, and it’s a good thing to see (pun intended).
Audio: How does it sound?
State and main is presented in a Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack, though it makes little or no use of all the channels. For the most part, it’s a good surround mix, but with the extra “umph” provided by the 5.1 track, you do get a few discrete effects here and there. Dialogue is clean and free of any distortion, and while there are some effects (most notably a car crash), the action is limited to the front three channels. There’s not much to say, personally I’d like a movie to sound decent and look great and while this looks great, it doesn’t sound quite as good. But, all things considered, this is the way to go and I don’t think you’ll have any problem with the way it sounds.
Supplements: What are the extras?
Though not part of their coveted “Platinum Series” DVD’s, State and Main does feature a commentary track with several of the actors. Most notably William H. Macy and Sarah Jessica Parker. Macy, who was actually a student of Mamet’s is very vocal and it shows that they all have a tremendous amount of respect for their director, who isn’t featured on the track, oddly enough. They keep talking right through the closing credits and it’s one of the better tracks that I’ve heard. Also included are some not so complete cast bios as they just list the actors filmographies and have no personal information on them at all. Some DVD-ROM material is also included with a link to the original website and a script to screen screenplay. Also presented is a theatrical trailer, presented in anamorphic widescreen. Not a whole lot of extras here, but it’s enough to justify a purchase if this movie was your cup of tea.
