Director: David Mamet
Starring: William H. Macy, Alec Baldwin, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Rebecca Pidgeon, Julia Stiles, Charles Durning, Clark Gregg, Sarah Jessica Parker, David Paymer, Patti LuPone

- Reviewed by Kerri

Like You Can Count On Me I found myself somewhat bored with the plot of State and Main but there were enough funny moments to make it slightly better (in my opinion) than the former. The plot about a movie being shot in a small town was transparent and weak; what makes this film worth any time is a few key performances.

William H. Macy practically carries the film as the heartless director, but the rest of the actors are barely worth the "ink"... with the exception of David Paymer, who plays the weaselly lawyer-showbiz-guy he always does, but with flair and appeal. Alec Baldwin, (who I note had an appointment with a chest-hair sculptor for this film), plays the lead actor with a penchant for young girls. He made me laugh. Sarah Jessica Parker weeps about displaying her breasts as the lead actress; the rest of the ensemble was okay but not memorable enough to write about.

However, I could write plenty about the horrible performance of Rebecca Pidgeon, who made my ears ring and almost caused me to run from the theatre, screaming for the casting director's throat on my way out. (Later I'm informed she is married to the director. Ahh... Hollywood.) This woman could not act her way out of a paper bag. Every sentence was filled with exaggerated inflection and expression and her volume never wavered, as if she was on some imaginary stage. She plays a bookkeeper in the small town of Waterford, VT, who befriends the bumbling script writer (Phillip Seymour Hoffman) and naturally questions her engagement to the town idiot. Blah blah blah. For god's sake someone tell her that small-town citizens do not shout when they talk and that it's okay to move your eyebrows independently of your mouth when you speak.

If you are a fan of any of the actors, this film might be worth your while. There were a few funny moments and it wasn't predictable; however, save it for a rainy day rental or a last resort.

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