A while back a movie called Glengarry Glen Ross blew me away. It was full of great acting but what really caught me was the way it was written…so raw, so intense. I don't think I had ever seen anything like it at the time. Well that movie was written by David Mamet, based on his play of the same name.
State and Main was written anddirected by David Mamet. This time there's none of the intense drama of the aforementioned Glengarry, but the wicked writing is still there.

The film has a great ensemble cast, with Phillip Seymour Hoffman as a noble screenwriter dealing with the rather stereotypical despicable behavior of "Hollywoodites" who invade the peaceful small town of Waterford, Vermont. Leading the Hollywood scum is the great William H. Macy as the director, and David Paymer as the snakelike producer.
Alec Baldwin, who's one of the executive producers of State and Main, is really good in his role of superstar actor Bob Barrenger. Sarah Jessica Parker is great as his leading lady.
Among others also in this film is Julia Stiles, who's a good actress and is really hot without being hot at all.

I really liked Rebecca Pidgeon in this film. I don't think I've ever seen her before, but her character, the town book shop owner, was very well written, and her performance shone among all the bright stars in the movie. She has a very "real" look to her…she actually looks more like she belongs in an office job than on a Hollywood screen. I hope she has a great future in the movie world...which is probably a given, since she's Mamet's wife.

This movie isn't terribly original, but it has a witty, intelligent humor that makes you laugh almost as much as it makes you think. Mamet must not be the biggest of Hollywood's fans…but thanks to great minds like his, Hollywood is what it is…fun.