Having a story that reaches no conclusion is in principle a good place to start, and the first of Mamet's signature staccato exchanges between short-fused characters promise an enjoyable ride to that end.
Joe Mantegna is cast here as a Jewish cop falling between all stools in what might be seen as a critique on loss of cultural identity, but instead comes out as an assault on all the factions around the ragdoll lead, as he is flung from rock to hard place. The moral of the story is therefore only that shit happens. Besides that, the hope of suspense is also dashed by a succession of gaping plotholes and improbably uniform personae communicating in a manner that Mamet has been accused of before and since i.e. everyone carries a massive chip on their shoulder and repeats themselves like a stuck record: 'Do you see? Do you see?'.
Spare yourself and watch the Mamet-Mantegna twister formula work to far more rewarding effect in House of Games instead.
5/10
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