I've written about Elliott Smith's death many times but the bottom line remains this, if the police called his death from stab wounds to the stomach was suicide, I'd take it. If his girlfriend Jennifer Chiba was tried and found innocent I would accept that as well. And much the same way I accept Phil Spector's guilt in the shooting of Lana Clarkson.
And David Mamet, certainly a great screenwriter, a master of dialog, with two of our finest actors on hand, Al Pacino as Phil Spector and Helen Mirren's superb performance as lead attorney for the defense Linda Kenney Baden, don't change my mind. In the movie, you can dumb it down to: if Phil shout Lana through the mouth with a gun, why was there only specs of blood on him. A good question, except the Prosecution claimed he shot her from three feet away.
Look, take away Spector and what you have is a pas de deux police procedural about whether a famous person can get a fair trial. And really, if I am going watch a movie about one of rock and rolls undeniable genius's, a man who gave BRIAN WILSON a career, this isn't the one I want to see. It is like doing a Lennon movie about getting his murderer to plead guilty. Who needs it and who wants it?
If Mamet meant to make the story of Baden becoming reasonably doubtful her client shot Lana, why say it is fictional? What parts are fictional? I mean, if you are casting doubt on the guilty verdict, how can you cast doubt on your casting of doubt?
Having said that, there is some superb acting here. Mirren, playing Linda who had pneumonia during the trial, is very very effective. Helen has been one of my favorite actors since "O Lucky Man" and this is a subtle, powerful performance. Al Pacino may over do it here and there, but the first meeting between Phil and Linda is just about perfect. His speech about fame, Jesus was crucified because he got too big for his britches, was great Mamet and great Pacino and great Helen whose job was to react and who does so remarkably, you can see her opinion change.
The music? Really, do you have to ask?
Movie: B
Music: A+