Spartan (2004)

Director: David Mamet

Writer: David Mamet

Composer: Mark Isham

Starring: Val Kilmer, Tia Texada, Derek Luke, Clark Gregg, William H. Macy, Ed O'Neill, Mark Pellegrino, Kristen Bell, David Paymer

More info: IMDb

Tagline:  She's missing.

Plot: A "lone wolf" U.S. government secret agent is assigned the task of rescuing the kidnapped daughter of a high ranking government figure, only to discover along the way a larger, more sinister plot.

My rating: 8/10

Will I watch it again?  Yes.

Great flick.  Halfway through something happens that changes the direction of the story and it raises the stakes for Scott (Kilmer).  By that time I'd already given myself to the story and was anxiously awaiting the rest of the journey.  Mamet crafted a fine film that is a world of mystery.  Who does Scott work for?  Is it the military or the CIA or an independent organization?  How organized can these cats be?  Are they controlling everything?  Are the opening credits ever going to happen?  The movie has an organic feel.  It just begins and grows as if we're needle-dropped into it and we're left to figure some things out on our own.  I loved that aspect.  Kilmer is really good in this.  It's also cool that people die and those who do the killing do it without question or recourse.  It's their job and they do what they're told.  I can appreciate efficiency.  That game changing moment in the middle was great, too, because we've spent a good amount of time following a job and suddenly it ends only to find that there's more to it than we suspected.  A lot of filmmakers would've fucked this part up.  The Warner Bros. DVD has the film in anamorphic widescreen and the only extras are the trailer (in a-wide) and a commentary track with Kilmer.