Z/Web

Author: David Mamet

Director: David Mamet

I couldn’t remember anything about this going in except that it was a David Mamet deal. I was surprised at how much action there was. It’s about the kidnapping of a president’s daughter — at least I think that’s who she was. The film was unclear about her identity. Val Kilmer plays a military guy who’s job is to rescue the girl using any means necessary, and that part was very interesting. Later in the film the thing got bogged down in complexity as the girl was dead, then not dead, then this, then that — too many twists for its own good. It’s a good film, though a little uneven, and a bit sad (all Kilmer’s friends keep getting killed). The ending is definitely overwritten (or not written enough). It’s overly complicated and confusing, and the whole bit with the “poor rich girl” daughter was underdeveloped and vague. The film also seems to suffer from genre-switching, as though it’s not sure if it’s a psychological thriller, an action adventure flick, or an emotional drama. The genres mix awkwardly and the film feels disjointed as a result. Still, the whole thing almost works, and there are some good performances and some great scenes and scams that make the film worth seeing on their own.

This film gets a lot of comparisons to the recent Twisted wasn’t very twisted (the twist ending was obvious a mile away) whereas this one is a little more subtle. Not much, but a little bit. They did a better job of keeping you guessing and the story after the story (the film keeps on going after you think it’s over) is a nice touch. None of the characters are particularly original though the acting is decent. The film has an odd beginning as we focus on the serial killer’s story; later that view is lost as we switch to the female FBI agent’s viewpoint. I would have preferred sticking with the villain’s perspective: that would have been something different. Still, a decent film, with a modicum of suspense.