For David Mamet, the question, "Where is the girl?" is eternal. The signature line is peppered throughout his screenplays, including this one. For audiences of his latest thriller, the question, "Who is the girl?" is a much more immediate concern.
If you're not accustomed to Mamet's world of plot twists, double and triple crosses, rhythmic dialogue, and recurring lines and images, you may be a bit disoriented entering his latest feature. The movie hits the ground running, and you have to be on your toes to keep up. But if your idea of entertainment doesn't necessitate checking your brain at the door, you're in for a treat.
The story opens with two men chasing a girl through the woods. It turns out to be a military exercise, and the men are a trainee (Derek Luke) and his instructor (Val Kilmer). Soon, the latter is summoned away to a top-secret mission.
Kilmer is a terrific character actor when he's in the right role. A string of flops after his turn as Batman sidelined his once fast-track career. Here, he's a perfect fit as a thick-skinned, lethally efficient operative; presumably the title character.
A girl is missing. Someone important, judging from all the Secret Service agents hovering around. Is she the president's daughter? We don't find out for some time.
That's all of the plot I'm going to divulge. Suffice it to say that nothing is ever as it seems. Characters weave their way in and out of the story, with Mamet regular William H. Macy turning up for little more than a glorified cameo. What matters is there are intelligent actors directed by a consummate pro in a story that gets more intriguing as it gets more complicated.
Much has been made of Mamet's Pulitzer-winning writing, but he doesn't get enough credit as a director. He has a way of dropping the camera in just the right place so the viewer feels in on the action. Whether it's a stakeout or a con, you are there.
Spartan doesn't offer much new to the Mamet canon, keeping it from ranking with his best work, such as House of Games. How much you get out of it depends on how well you pay attention.