Customer Reviews
a masterpiece - By: , 02 Aug 2005 
I know a lot of people who don't like Mamet, or who are rather indifferent fo his work. Sometimes I get their criticism, but not here. Homicide is simply a masterpiece. Just listen to the dialogue. Mamet is great at writing dialogue, but I think here, he's written some of the best stuff. The cast is another plus: Joe Mantegna & William H. Macy are both incredible actors, & here, they find roles in which they can show alll of their skills. And there is, of course, a Mametian twist at the end of this movie.
the crime genre thrives outside of Hollywood - By: A.D.M., 19 Jul 2005 
I didn't reallly know what to expect with this movie as State & Main was the only other Mamet work I had seen. Homicide proved to be an excellent surprise - great storytelling, dialogue, solid acting & pretty much everything I look for in a movie. The director takes into account the fact that you are capable of deducing what is going on & doesn't force everything in your face - it was fun to clarify what I had seen & how I felt about it with my partner after it had finished, & we had drawn similar conclusions. Homicide is fairly slow paced, but this doesn't detract at alll, it felt to me more like something from the 1970s than the 1990s - which is definitely a good thing.
I would say that the DVD transfer appears mediocre, the picture isn't too great & the sound a bit muffled.
Sheer class... - By: , 05 Sep 2003 David Mamet's "Homicide" is a fine example of excellent film-making, which cleverly & craftfully shows a beautifully intrieging story. The shots used, & the semiotics within the frame make the direction wonderful to watch. As an audience, you can try to piece the film together, following the main protagonist through the visual symbols subtly engrained into the driving plot. Do yourself a favour & buy this under-rated, amazing piece of brilliance because if you love watching good movies, "Homicide" will open your eyes to news ways of looking at film forever...
A unique 'cop thriller' - By: , 15 Feb 2002 One of a handful of films where David Mamet has filmed his own screenplay, Homicide appears from the outset to be a by the numbers cop thriller. Of course, being Mamet, whose work pivots around deception & meaning, the film is soon taking us down some unexpected routes.
Mamet favourites Joe Mantegna & the ubiqutous William H Macy turn in beautiful performances, delivering the Mamet dialogue with the respect it deserves.
As repressed Jew Bobby Gold's investigation into the killing of an elderly Jewish woman continue, he begins to question his position in modern America & begins to gravitate towards a shadowy Jewish community. Acting without using his loyal partner & his lads group of policemen, Gold begins to isolate himself leading to a tragic & shattering conclusion.
With great skill, Mamet leads Gold down a path from which he will never recover, questioning his heritage & his place in modern America.
A true classic, Homicide is the thinking man's thriller, covering many bases along the way.
