Here's a superb dramatic thriller with a very realistic focus on issues like racism, cultural and religious intolerance, and the raw side of being a policeman.
In "Homicide" Joe Mantegna plays Bobby Gold, a detective over so many pressures, already on the run trying to find a cop killer (Ving Rhames) when he's called to take over a homicide case, the murder of a Jewish lady in what appears to be a robbery in her shop in a poor neighborhood. Since he was the first detective at the crime scene and the one who reported the incident, he's told by his bosses to forget about the other case and keep working on this one; besides these facts he's also Jewish but a non practicant one. As one of those strange twists of fate, the reluctant Bobby will confront himself in his own way of thinking about his religion which he always neglected for seeing himself as part of something weak; and he also enters in conflict with his self and his views of his work during the course of both investigations, which affects his whole way of seeing things how they really are.
Writer and director David Mamet manages to skillfully pull the strings of so many backgrounds and worlds without downplaying situations or disappointing the viewers. Everything works in a perfect tense mood; the pieces are well connected and the ability of surprising the audience is incredibly well done but it only works if the viewers fully understand the movie's premise and the real message behind the case rather than only paying attention to the investigations and the action scenes. One of my favorite scenes is the one where Bobby meets a Rabbi who fears more of his badge than his gun, and he reveals what Bobby really is, in being born as Jew but who can't read words in Hebrew; the turning point for the detective to see what he really is.
Mantegna comes with one of his best performances as the hard working detective who at the end of the film realizes how insignificant his instincts were, since he end up betrayed by himself for not seeing that the whole missing piece in this crime puzzle was already in front of him. Also here with a great performance is William H. Macy, playing Mantegna's tough partner. There's so much to be said about "Homicide" but it's better not or I'll spoil the amazing surprises this movie has. 10/10
In "Homicide" Joe Mantegna plays Bobby Gold, a detective over so many pressures, already on the run trying to find a cop killer (Ving Rhames) when he's called to take over a homicide case, the murder of a Jewish lady in what appears to be a robbery in her shop in a poor neighborhood. Since he was the first detective at the crime scene and the one who reported the incident, he's told by his bosses to forget about the other case and keep working on this one; besides these facts he's also Jewish but a non practicant one. As one of those strange twists of fate, the reluctant Bobby will confront himself in his own way of thinking about his religion which he always neglected for seeing himself as part of something weak; and he also enters in conflict with his self and his views of his work during the course of both investigations, which affects his whole way of seeing things how they really are.
Writer and director David Mamet manages to skillfully pull the strings of so many backgrounds and worlds without downplaying situations or disappointing the viewers. Everything works in a perfect tense mood; the pieces are well connected and the ability of surprising the audience is incredibly well done but it only works if the viewers fully understand the movie's premise and the real message behind the case rather than only paying attention to the investigations and the action scenes. One of my favorite scenes is the one where Bobby meets a Rabbi who fears more of his badge than his gun, and he reveals what Bobby really is, in being born as Jew but who can't read words in Hebrew; the turning point for the detective to see what he really is.
Mantegna comes with one of his best performances as the hard working detective who at the end of the film realizes how insignificant his instincts were, since he end up betrayed by himself for not seeing that the whole missing piece in this crime puzzle was already in front of him. Also here with a great performance is William H. Macy, playing Mantegna's tough partner. There's so much to be said about "Homicide" but it's better not or I'll spoil the amazing surprises this movie has. 10/10