Reviews

After the Spanish Prisoner, which I consider Mamet's most accomplished film and the finest example of his skills as a storyteller, The Winslow boy comes as a disappointment.

Try as he may, Mamet never communicates why this trial captured England's imagination nor how it was emblematic of the nation's discontent. Moreover, some highly significant events are merely alluded to rather than shown, leaving one with the uncomfortable sense that this was a project the filmmakers, for whatever their reasons, were in a hurry to finish.

Except for the few scenes between or referring to Bill Murray and his twin sons and those involving Brian Cox, this is a decidedly unfunny comedy. The hero is, I suppose, intended to be viewed as irrepressible when in fact, he's insufferable. The filmmakers try to humanize him by giving him a dead mother and a good-hearted dad but they can't mask the fact that for the most of the film he's simply an obnoxious weasel. I found myself rooting against him at every turn and his change of heart at the end felt completely contrived. This is a mean- spirited little film that lacks the nerve to remain true to its own nastiness, opting instead for a safe "feel good" ending which is so dramatically dishonest as to be insulting

Within fifteen minutes, one knew how it going to end. Lacking any real narrative suspense, the film then could only be appreciated on a scene to scene basis. Furthermore, I couldn't bring myself to worry about someone with a 170 I.Q. I believe the film would have been much more interesting had it focussed on the Ben Affleck character

There are some wonderful performances (most notably, William Hurt's) and some great monologues. Sometimes, however, I was bothered by the dialogue which seemed too stylized and called too much attention to itself.