"I was raised by wolves."

It's hard not to look at Spartan and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and wonder what Val Kilmer's doing co-starring in direct-to-video garbage with 50 Cent. He's excellent as a no-nonsense military man brought in to track a missing girl. David Mamet writes and directs this twisty thriller that boasts both his usual ear for dialogue and which moves to its own rhythm, starting and stopping and starting again, just when you think it's over. An excellent supporting performance by Derek Luke as Kilmer's novice assistant rounds one of the most satisfying and unjustly overlooked thrillers of the last decade.

Val Kilmer is really good but the film as a whole left me cold. There is not much to latch onto in terms of emotional connections. The realistic approach was great though. No big action scenes - they are gone in a flash and hit hard.

Has there ever been a more aptly titled film? This might be my favorite Mamet now. It simply cuts away anything that is unnecessary, cutting straight to the point at every single moment. The dialog is pure Mamet, but what surprised me especially was the effectiveness of the visuals, which are equally blunt and direct. This might also be Kilmer's finest hour.

It should be noted that the film is, as expected, insanely problematic. Mamet basically blames Bell's kidnapping on the fact that she dyed her hair. And the female characters are basically either prostitutes or weak in some way. It is inexcusable, but frankly, at this point a part of the "fun" of watching a Mamet film is shaking your head over his nonsense.

To commemorate Mamet's meditation on the ease with which lies pass over the public, here's s'more from the quote bin: "You've got all the slack in the world until I leave this room - - then I'm going to zero you out...It's gonna be what it's gonna be...Do you want to talk about it? If you want to talk about it, I will give you one minute...I think you're a stone cold whoremaster".

Has there ever been a more aptly titled film? This might be my favorite Mamet now. It simply cuts away anything that is unnecessary, cutting straight to the point at every single moment. The dialog is pure Mamet, but what surprised me especially was the effectiveness of the visuals, which are equally blunt and direct. This might also be Kilmer's finest hour.

It should be noted that the film is, as expected, insanely problematic. Mamet basically blames Bell's kidnapping on the fact that she dyed her hair. And the female characters are basically either prostitutes or weak in some way. It is inexcusable, but frankly, at this point a part of the "fun" of watching a Mamet film is shaking your head over his nonsense.

I really can't remember any specific details from this, but I do remember liking it a lot. David Mamet is always worth checking out.

val kilmer commentary

Boiled down airport-thriller perfection. Mamet's focus on one of his pet horses, men doing work, makes for beautifully realized espionage argot and brutal efficiency. Kilmer delivers, key perf in his recent body of work.

I wouldn't say this is a good film exactly, but I enjoyed it. It has a very good script and seems to make an effort to be believable given the subject matter. Val Kilmer does a great job.

"Did you burn me?"
"Can't say that I did."
"Want to prove it?"
"Lord hates a coward."

To commemorate Mamet's meditation on the ease with which lies pass over the public, here's s'more from the quote bin: "You've got all the slack in the world until I leave this room - - then I'm going to zero you out...It's gonna be what it's gonna be...Do you want to talk about it? If you want to talk about it, I will give you one minute...I think you're a stone cold whoremaster".