Nonureva Really Surprised!

Mjeteconer Just perfect...

Acensbart Excellent but underrated film

KnotStronger This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.

Woodyanders Struggling junk store owner Don (superbly played by Dennis Franz) suspects that a customer purchased a rare nickel from him for a minute sum when it was actually worth ten times in value. In order to rectify this wrong, Don plots with weaselly lowlife would-be thief Teach (a bravura performance by Dustin Hoffman) to break into the customer's house so Don can get his coin back.Michael Corrente's no-frills direction wisely eschews flashy cinematic pyrotechnics in order to place a key emphasis on the well drawn and astutely observed main characters. David Mamet's compact and incisive script, adapted from his play, not only offers a fascinating and provocative dissertation on ethics, friendship, loyalty, and betrayal, but also paints a bleakly compelling portrait of two hopeless small-time losers who are fatally undermined by their own pathetic intrinsic fallibility. Franz and Hoffman act off each other exceptionally well while Sean Nelson more than holds his own as Don's eager young protégé Bobby, who isn't nearly as naive as he seems to be. Richard Crudo's sharp cinematography wrings plenty of claustrophobic tension from the cramped primary location. Kudos are also in order for Thomas Newman's spare bluesy score. Granted, there's virtually nothing in the way of action, but the poetically profane rat-a-tat-tat dialogue and spot-on stinging insights on the cruel manner too much talk can betray people by revealing their shortcomings more than compensates for this.

dewisut3 Yes, it feels like a play: centred on conversation- and what lively conversation- between just three people: little action. I don't think that disqualifies it from being a great film.Does a movie have to be all action? I was reminded of Beckett's "Waiting for Godot" (waiting for Fletcher). I watch TV late watching and normally fall asleep during the most vigorous movies. This film kept me sitting on the edge of my seat all the way through. If you enjoy people and seeing how somewhat depraved characters- even extraordinary characters like Teach- have some goodness deep down this movie will have meaning for you. The acting is first class

gridoon Overly talky and often tedious and annoying (especially at the start), "American Buffalo" seems to be going around in circles. Mamet's dialogue is occasionally amusing (like in the "wrong number" scene), but cannot completely cover up the fact that nothing much happens - by the time the film ends, not one thing has changed in the characters' lives. There are some tense moments and the performances are good, but I can't imagine more than 10% of any given audience enjoying this film. (**)

jglapin Yep, this is a dreary film set in a dreary junkshop in a dreary city. It is the perfect material for the pre-Prozac set of depressed souls. This play reminded me of "No Exit" to the extent that I imagine the characters going through these deliberations and recriminations every day into eternity. Unless the viewer is interested in exploring obsession and depression, it is not likely they will find much here. Mr. Mamet is so good at finding a moment, a glance, an expression and, climbing inside of it, he turns it inside out and expresses almost geometric variations. If he were not a playright he might have been a jazz musician.