Lakeboat

I came upon this movie while channel surfing. I missed the opening but I was drawn in immediately. I loved the dialogue. A scene happens, there is no "action" but the characters are changed by each other. And the characters are so strange and hectic. But you fall into them and their foibles. I also loved the 'jewishness' of Dale. Mamet's dialogue is my best. I always have a sense that he is writing and then I have to come and check. It's heightened dialogue. Almost super-real. Peter Faulk and Denis Leary are also an absolute treat in this movie. I knew that Joe Mantegna was a favorite actor of Mamet's but I didn't know that he directed as well. Very well I thought. I don't remember ever hearing about this movie before so I'm glad I caught it.

Several things about this movie turned me off. I am Great Lakes Merchant Marine and was excited to hear a movie about a Great Lakes crew was being produced. They picked a Great Vessel (the Canadian flagged Seaway Queen). But although you can't blame the actors (they were working with poor material) Lakeboat gives an unrealistic stereotypical view of merchant seaman. Not only that but there are several inaccuracies in the props. For example one character makes a ship to shore call on the inter ship phone system. While the ship was being unloaded they show crew members using hand trucks to unload boxed cargo, the majority of the ships on the lakes carry bulk cargo. This ignorance to realistic detail bothered me but so did the fact that they painted every sailor as foul mouthed know nothings. I honestly have heard worse language from Jr. High School students then my shipmates. It is just so painfully inaccurate.

Some familiar faces in this play turned film, by David Mamet. a student on a summer job makes friends with various workers on a freighter ship. Charles Durning, Peter Falk, Denis Leary, Andy Garcia, George Wendt (NORM!). they had all been around for Years. SOOOO much talking. much of it is just dull chatter. goes on and on. and one of the actors is just annoying. Mamet needed to jazz up the script with jokes, or ... something. probably the best part of this was seeing the locks the ship went through. interesting stuff. certainly more interesting than the chatter on board. kind of an updated version of Two Years before the Mast, novel from 1840. it's a family affair.. David Mamet managed to get Tony Mamet and Bob Mamet on the payroll as well! one of the three projects directed by Joe Mantegna. this is his ONE film, and two television shows. it's just okay. not a lot going on. needed spicing up.

One would think that having worked with David Mamet for so many years, Joe Mantegna would have a superb understanding of Mamet-speak. Mamet's dialog requires a certain rhythm, or cadence to make it work, and despite the high caliber actors involved in this project, I didn't feel that many of them pulled it off very well. Denis Leary and Robert Forster seemed to get it, but everyone else around them seemed very stilted, and the dialog seemed truly forced. Mamet is fascinated by the dance of dialog, and if the cast won't dance, it doesn't work.

Lakeboat doesn't have a plot, so I guess it's more of a character sketch. Like a series of disconnected skits, various characters walk in, fire off some non-sequiturs, and leave. Unfortunately, it's not funny -- at all -- and the pace is slow and boring. Frankly, I couldn't get through it. The lines are somewhat funny but the pacing and the portrayal and the music is all serious.

Speaking of music, it's awful -- I assume it's more nepotism by writer David Mamet since the composer is "Bob Mamet". The film isn't awful, it's more of a "bad"... the only reason I'm upset is that I expect so much more from David Mamet. Maybe I should stop that.

Who should see this film:

-- Nobody, even if you think you might want to. See Bottle Rocket instead, or better yet, The Royal Tenenbaums.

I'll give Lakeboat a disappointing 4 out of 10.