To get the rich flavor out of certain foods, one must coddle and fuss over them. Think of your mother’s homemade spaghetti sauce sitting on the stove for hours; where it would simmer and bubble, emitting small puffs of steam into the air. Similar to that, this mystery slowly simmered as the various actors blended together into a rich, thrilling story. Watching this movie was a nostalgic experience for me; a throwback to a different time where the actors told the story, not the special effects or locales. This film slowly drew me into its story with its twists and turns. Joseph A. “Joe” Ross, played by Campbell Scott (Music and Lyrics, The Dying Gaul), created a formula that would bring millions to his company; run by Mr. Klein, played by Ben Gazzara (The Big Lebowski, Looking for Palladin). Altered attitudes and issues of trust came into play after Joe befriended the mysterious Julian “Jimmy” Dell, played by Steve Martin (Shopgirl, The Jerk), who warned Joe about taking steps to protect his creation. Written and directed by David Mamet (Glengarry Glen Ross, Hannibal), the driving force to this film came from the dialog. Filmed in 1997, the pacing took its time in revealing the story, allowing the actors to shine in their craft. It was fun to see a young Felicity Huffman (Trasamerica, Desperate Housewives-TV) and Ed O’Neill (Married with Children-TV, Modern Family-TV) who had small roles in this layered movie. Set in a past time, the wordy script took pleasure in reeling me into its web of intrigue and I went willingly.  One brief scene with blood.

3 stars — DVD