Edmond (film)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Edmond

Promotional movie poster for the film
Directed by Stuart Gordon
Produced by Chris Hanley
Molly Hassell
Duffy Hecht
Stuart Gordon
Roger Kass
Mary McCann
Kevin Ragsdale
Written by David Mamet
Starring William H. Macy
Julia Stiles
Joe Mantegna
Rebecca Pidgeon
Bai Ling
Lionel Mark Smith
Mena Suvari
Denise Richards
Music by Bobby Johnston
Cinematography Denis Maloney
Editing by Andy Horvitch
Distributed by First Independent Pictures
Release date(s) July 14, 2006
Running time 82 min.
Language English
IMDb profile

Edmond is a 2005 drama/thriller film based on the play of the same name. It was written (play and screenplay) by David Mamet and directed by Stuart Gordon. It was screened at several film festivals from September 2005 to May 2006, and had a limited release on July 14, 2006.

Contents

[edit] Synopsis

See: Edmond (play).

The following text is reproduced with full permission of BeenToTheMovies.com

"You are not where you belong."

Thus begins a brutal descent into a contemporary urban hell in David Mamet's savage black comedy, when his encounter with a fortune-teller leads businessman Edmond (William H. Macy) to confront the emptiness of his life and marriage.

Appalled, he flees into the vortex of the City's underbelly, plummeting into a free fall he mistakes for liberation. To Edmond's surprise, it's dark outside: hookers charge, pimps are violent, and the guy on the corner is a conman. Edmond is robbed, beaten and left bewildered. But there's a strange comfort at the bottom.

Exhilarated by a random act of violence, Edmond picks up a waitress, Glenna (Julia Stiles), but their riotous sex play leads first to conflict, then to murder. With nothing to lose but his liberty, Edmond spirals further out of control, towards prison, disintegration, and a very brutal redemption. [1]

[edit] Cast

[edit] Critical reception

The film received mixed to favorable reviews from critics. The review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported that 45% of critics gave the film positive reviews, based on 69 reviews.[2] Metacritic reported the film had an average score of 61 out of 100, based on 21 reviews.[3]

Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian gave the film one star out of five and called it a "truly awful movie, one of the very worst US pictures to be released [in the UK] in years." Bradshaw said screenwriter Mamet "lets rip with deafening flatulent macho nonsense" and said "He reaches a level of self-parody so extreme his trademark dialogue becomes almost literally meaningless." Bradshaw said the cameos by Mena Suvari and Denise Richards are "insulting and cursorily written" and called the ending of the film "outrageously contrived."[4]

The New York Times film critic Stephen Holden said William H. Macy "is perfectly cast", calling him "a master at playing sticks of human dynamite in mild-mannered camouflage" and that he gives the "nerviest screen performance of his career." Holden said the film is a faithful adaptation of the one-act play from 1982, saying "Its taunting insistence that everyone is racist, voiced in abrasive, staccato Mamet-speak, leaves you feeling battered and vaguely guilty." Holden wrote, "As in much of Mr. Mamet's work, there is a quality of adolescent nose-thumbing, as though it all might be a cruel practical joke designed solely to make us squirm." Holden said viewers may love or hate the film but that it was certainly unforgettable.[5]

[edit] Awards

[edit] Wins and nominations

Year Group Award Won Notes
2005 Grand Jury Prize Stuart Gordon No
Newport International Film Festival Achievement Award Acting Yes
2006 Mar del Plata Film Festival, Best Actor William H. Macy Yes

[edit] References

  1. ^ www.BeenToTheMovies.com - News
  2. ^ Edmond Movie Reviews, Pictures - Rotten Tomatoes. Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved on 2008-03-21.
  3. ^ Edmond (2006): Reviews. Metacritic. Retrieved on 2008-03-21.
  4. ^ Peter Bradshaw (2007-07-06). Edmond. The Guardian. Retrieved on 2008-03-21.
  5. ^ Stephen Holden (2006-07-14). In ‘Edmond,’ William H. Macy Is Desperate and Frustrated, and He Won’t Take It Anymore. The New York Times. Retrieved on 2008-03-21.

[edit] External links

Languages