Robert Chipman
Welcome to this column dedicated to my appreciation of physical media supplements called Feature Presentations. The goal of this column is not to say whether a film is good or bad and worth picking up or not — I would like to highlight the discs that go the extra mile and provide film fans with enough tasty tidbits to satisfy even the hungriest of cinephiles. Today’s article will focus on Homicide from the “After Dark: Neo-Noir Cinema Collection Three” collection via Imprint Films.
I never have or will claim to be an expert in reviewing the technical specs of a physical media release. There are plenty of knowledgeable people in this realm of commenting on the audio and video aspects of a disc with better setups than I’ll ever own. This column, Feature Presentations, is a way of highlighting the supplemental material within a given disc. With all that out of the way, let’s get to the good stuff and dive into my review of this Blu-ray release of Homicide.
As a disclaimer of transparency for this episode of Feature Presentations, my review of Homicide comes from a review copy that Imprint Films provided for review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I am a fan of writer/director David Mamet and his ear for dialogue, also known as “Mamet speak.” I’ve seen a couple of his plays over the years and am familiar with many of his cinematic offerings, but his 1991 thriller, Homicide, has always stuck with me, but not for the reason you might think.
I don’t remember the year, but my earliest memory of a Mamet film came from Homicide. The idea was sound: a detective in the homicide department finds himself tangled in a web of mystery appealed to me highly. I rented the film, and being a youngster, I had trouble getting past the first 20 minutes. There’s no easy way to sip your toe into the world of words Mamet dispenses, so if you’re not prepared, your movie-going experience will be a rough one. And at the time, honestly, it wasn’t working for me. Instead of understanding what David Mamet was doing with his characters and dialogue, I turned the film off and left it unfinished until many years later. Unbeknownst to me during my first watch, the over-the-top “Mamet speak” in the opening handful of minutes molds itself into an almost additional character as the screenplay focuses on the points it looks to make. Once I understood the world of David Mamet better, I gave Homicide its due diligence, and I’m glad I did. I will always admit my faults.
Joe Mantegna leads the film as Bobby Gold, a Jewish homicide detective who finds himself reluctantly assigned to the murder of a Jewish candy store owner. While it seems her murder occurred because of a rumored fortune in the basement, Gold finds clues that point to an apparent and complex conspiracy. I’m purposefully keeping the plot details vague, but know that Bobby Gold and the plot of Homicide weave through multiple unexpected twists and turns, leading to a journey like no other.
Joe Mantegna brings Bobby Gold to life as a man muddled about who he is and what he stands for. Adding to the murky sensibilities within the film is the moody and dark lighting courtesy of the one and only Roger Deakins. While long, dark shadows are not a pre-requisite of a neo-noir, Deakins plays on the dark thematic elements and brings a haunting and foreboding look for a character, like Bobby Gold, who is on their own dark odyssey.
Getting into the disc, Imprint Films includes a 2024 audio commentary with film historian Jim Hemphill. If you read my article on The Last Temptation of Christ from the “Martin Scorsese Films of Faith” collection, I’m a big fan of his work and what he brings to the supplemental material.
Hemphill comes to the commentary prepared as he dishes on the cast and crew and spends much of the time naturally discussing David Mamet and those who have worked with him. Writer and director David Mamet has had a long and storied career in entertainment, so while it may sound like other aspects of Homicide and those involved with the production may not get their time in the spotlight, Hemphill uses Mamet to springboard onto other fascinating, yet relevant, topics. Hemphill traces the early works of Mamet from his attempts at acting, through his connections with actors Joe Mantegna, William H. Macy, and others, his approach to writing films and plays, and how he directs. It’s a fascinating track and will work best for those who enjoy the works of David Mamet or are curious about the writer/director’s history.
The disc comes to a close with the film’s theatrical trailer.
And there you have it! Thankfully for me, I gave David Mamet’s Homicide the rewatch it deserved and discovered a crackling gem of neo-noir topped with profoundly poetic prose encompasses everything right about what Imprint Films sets out to accomplish with the “After Dark Neo-Noir Collection.” What starts as a simple homicide case becomes a twisty nightmare that only one of our finest writers can craft. Joe Mantegna’s Bobby Gold makes the perfect foil, Roger Deakins adds lush, moody shadows as only he can, and Homicide is a pristine slice of cinema to kick off Imprint Films‘ “After Dark Neo-Noir Collection Three!”
