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State and Main

Threat advisory: High - High risk of entertaining activities

Movie propaganda

Big movie. Small town. Huge trouble.

Part Hollywood satire, part screwball comedy, State and Main explores what happens when a cell-phone-wielding movie crew invades a quaint New England town to film The old mill. Laced with the tart dialogue characteristic of Mamet, State and Main follows screenwriter Joe White (Philip Seymour Hoffman), whose old-fashioned values are put to the test when he is the only witness to heart-throb movie star Bob Barrenger's (Alec Baldwin) indiscretions with a local teenager, Carla Taylor (Julia Stiles). Walt Price (William H Macy), the movie's smooth-talking director, and Marty Rossen (David Paymer), the aggressive producer, pressure Joe to put aside his convictions for the sake of the film and his future writing career.

Meanwhile, Joe falls for Ann Black (Rebecca Pidgeon), a local bookseller, who challenges him to stand up for the truth.

Also starring Sarah Jessica Parker as Claire Wellesley, Clark Gregg as Doug Mackenzie, Charles Durning as George Bailey, Patti Lupone as Sherry Bailey, Ken Cheeseman, Jim Frangione, Brian Howe as Ron the bartender, Josh Marchette and Lonnie R Smith. Written and directed by David Mamet.

Cinematic intelligence sources

Awards and film festivals:

Cinematic Intelligence Agency Trenchcoat Awards 2002
Deauville Festival of American Film Film Festival 2000: Official selection
London Film Festival 2000: Official selection
Montréal Film Festival 2000: Official selection
Toronto International Film Festival 2000: Official selection

State and Main official movie site
Studios and distributors:

Fine Line Features * 20th Century Fox

Intelligence analyst

Special Agent Matti

Theatrical report

Hate and Maim.

If you're in the film industry you'll laugh yourself sick at the insider jokes (the "Associate Producer" gag being the best of the lot). David Mamet's script is pretty vicious when it comes to the integrity of the Hollywood machine but that's something that it deserves unreservedly. Hollywood films are one of the worst examples of USA cultural imperialism and the inherent lack of good taste in an aesthetic culture that's run by accountants.

Meanwhile, the plot is actually pretty weak, serving, as it does, only to prop up the piss-take. The acting sometimes crosses the line in maintaining its integrity with regards to the old adage that comedy must be played straight, which is, of course, true. Comedy is the ultimate form of tragedy. Alec Baldwin is the worst offender with Sarah Jessica Parker a close second.

If you're not part of the industry there's not a lot for you to get your teeth into, but at least it's not Joe Dirt.