Edmond Burke (Macy) is a New York businessman thoughtlessly going through his easy life when a fortune-teller says, "You are not where you belong." Spurred to sudden honesty, he tells his wife (Pidgeon) that he's bored with her, then heads out into the city, where which his deepest prejudices and frustrations are brought to the surface in encounters with a lap dancer (Richards), a hooker (Suvari) and a barmaid (Stiles) who all fail to live up to his fantasies. He's also mugged, conned and assaulted. So he strikes back.

Yes, it's all a bit heavy-handed, in that theatrical way in which every action and word has a profound and provocative meaning. Freed from his stiff life, Edmond tries to wallow in his liberation, forgetting that there are still rules in society. So all of those ugly things he has repressed and controlled come exploding to the surface, including his misogyny, racism and homophobia. And it's specifically these three things that come back to haunt him.

Macy is marvellous in the role, somehow keeping us interested in Edmond's odyssey even though we feel very little sympathy when he is disappointed or victimised. He's such a great everyman that he always feels real, even when the events get horribly nasty due to Edmond's deliberate behaviour. And he bounces off his fine supporting cast with the perfect blend of pathetic cluelessness, inner vitriol and acidic humour.

Gordon films in a style that matches Mamet's dialog: brisk and crackling with unexpected bursts of energy. The film has a jazzy feel as it continually changes directions, getting increasingly dark and seedy even as it maintains a blackly comedic tone. This is a man desperate to find his true self, and the fact that he heads out for this hopefully wild night wearing a black suit probably tells us everything we need to know. In the end, it's these rather too-obvious touches that keep the message from really moving us.

themes, language, violence, sexuality

14.Feb.07