David Mamethas always been a controversial writer and director who is interested inexploring the intersection between politics, business, and human naturewith the clever thrillers that he has brought to both the stage and screen. Between the devastating business dramaGlengarry Glen Ross,the challenging crime dramaHomicide, and the gripping survivalist epicThe Edge, it would be easy to assumethat a majority of his work falls into the dramatic category.However,even Mamet’s most brutal projectstend to have a snarky sense of humor, and his straightforward comedies tend to be pretty hilarious.State and Mainis simply one of Mamet’s best films and proved that he could craft a fictional world that held a startling mirror to reality. Although it serves as an excellent satire of the nature of film production,State and Mainfeatures a brilliant performance byPhilip Seymour Hoffmanas a struggling screenwriterwho questions where his career has led him.
What Is ‘State and Main’ About?
State and Maincenters on the cast and crew of an upcoming film that is met with production issuesafter a series of controversies forces them to relocate their filming from New Hampshire to Vermont. It quickly becomes clear that the director, Walt Price (William H. Macy),has no ability to wrangle in the eccentric personalities that he’s tasked with leading;the leading actress, Claire Wellesley (Sarah Jessica Parker),refuses to film certain scenes,the pretentious Hollywood star Bob Barrenger (Alec Baldwin) has become too famous for his own good, and the controlling producer Marty Rossen (David Paymer) aims to limit his artistic freedom.Hoffman appears as the screenwriter Joseph Turner White,who is tasked with constantly adapting his script to correspondwith the changes that are required by the strange turnaround process.Although White had once believed that his script could be the key to finding mainstream success in Hollywood, he gradually began torealize that the life of an artistis far more challenging than he had initially imagined.
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Although he tends to be remembered as an actor capable of giving intensely powerful dramatic performances in films likeCapoteandThe Master, Hoffman was often a whole lot funnier than he was given credit for, andState and Mainis a reminder of thegreat comedic timing that he had.One of the recurring gags in the film is that while everyone wants to impress their ideas about the script on White, few are actually willing to listen to what he has to say.Hoffman shows how White becomes increasingly exasperatedbecause of the constant edits that are made to his story; despite the fact that the script was originally given the title ofThe Old Mill, he finds that the mill that they had intended to shoot at in Vermont was actually burned to the ground several years ago. Hoffman had developed a great repertoire with Macy thanks to their work together onMagnoliaandBoogie Nights, andtheir chemistry is just as strong inState and Main.
Philip Seymour Hoffman Shows the Complexities of Being a Writer
Hoffman is able to examine the anxieties that writers facewhen they recognize that their voices are being silenced. While White is savvy enough about the business to know that he is never going to be a massive sensation like Barranger, he finds himself frequentlyfrustrated that none of the other crew members share his genuine passion for storytelling.Although Mamet istargeting the corporate greedthat is specific to Hollywood, the idea of having to work under an unpassionate employer is one that applies to nearly every profession.
State and Mainis a very cynical film,as a general theme within many of Mamet’s projects is that people will not act nobly if it is not in their own interests. Although Whiteis hardly a straightforward hero,Hoffman is able to show the artistic integrity of a committed storytellerwho takes on the challenge of building narratives from scratch. It may not be one of his best-known films, butState and Mainshows thevulnerability and compassion that made Hoffman such an outstanding talent.
State and Mainis streaming on Prime Video in the U.S.
State and Main
Watch on Prime Video
