2006 / Stuart Gordon > David Mamet’s first script since Spartan feels forced and archaic, not surprising as its foundation was penned ten years before the wittiness seen in Glengarry Glen Ross. Dealing with a middle-aged man’s downward spiral into the night, William H. Macy gives a striking performance, especially in the short scene with Julia Stiles. The film itself, however, begins to falter soon afterwards as irrational plotting sequences lead to an anticlimatic and inevitable ending. It tries to be deep with its dialogue, but even at barely 75 minutes, tends to drag on without much material substance. Necessary for Mamet fans, but only passable for most.