A film production moves into a New England community, featuring William H. Macy as the director, Philip Seymour Hoffman portraying a writer struggling with something, and David Paymer taking on the role of a producer who gets straight to the point. David Mamet both wrote and directed this oddball comedy/drama that satirizes the movie industry. The rapid-fire dialogue means you’re likely to miss quite a few clever lines during a single viewing, but that makes it something you'll want to watch again. I really enjoyed the bit about the director’s pillow, which has the phrase “Shoot first and ask questions afterwards” on it. There are many other funny moments too, like the recurring gag involving giving someone the title of assistant producer and the pothole located on main street. The one thing that didn't work for me was the focus in the latter portion of the film on a car accident involving Alec Baldwin’s character and his questionable relationship with an underage girl (Julia Stiles). Considering Julia Stiles was eighteen years old when filming took place, I wish they had explored her part more fully. Sarah Jessica Parker looks great throughout the movie, but it's Rebecca Pidgeon as a brunette who has the strongest female role. The film’s length is one hour and forty-five minutes, and it was filmed in Manchester-by-the-Sea and Beverly, which are northeast of Boston, along with Dedham and Waltham, located southwest and west of the city respectively. GRADE: B

Source on TMDB