Edmond (2005)

A fortune-tellers teasing rumination sends Edmond Burke lurching into New York City's hellish underworld.

Director:

Stuart Gordon

Writers:

David Mamet (screenplay), David Mamet (play)

Stars:

William H. Macy, Frances Bay, Joe Mantegna

3 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
William H. Macy	...	Edmond
Frances Bay	...	Fortune Teller
Rebecca Pidgeon	...	Wife
Joe Mantegna	...	Man in Bar
Denise Richards	...	B-Girl
Wendy Thompson	...	Cocktail Waitress
Vincent Guastaferro	...	Club Manager
Bai Ling	...	Peep Show Girl
Matt Landers	...	Bystander
Dulé Hill	...	Sharper
Russell Hornsby	...	Shill
Aldis Hodge	...	Leafletter
Debi Mazar	...	Matron
Mena Suvari	...	Whore
Jeffrey Combs	...	Desk Clerk

Storyline

A man in a suit at a Manhattan firm leaves work on Friday; he looks unhappy. He stops at a fortune teller's for a Tarot reading: "You are not where you belong," she tells him. That evening he quits his marriage and walks the streets of New York, passing from a classy bar to a gentleman's club, then to a high-class bordello, a mugging, a pawnshop, and a diner where someone does listen. He shares his insights with her and later with others. Violence, disappointment, and musings entwine as Edmond loses his moorings while believing he's found them. Where does he belong?

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Plot Keywords:

fortune teller | violence | new york city | pawnshop | marriage | 

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Taglines:

Every fear hides a wish.

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Genres:

Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence, strong language, and sexual content including nudity and dialogue

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 November 2006 (Italy)

Also Known As:

Submundo

Filming Locations:

Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$10,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$19,253 (USA) (14 July 2006)

Gross:

$131,617 (USA) (13 October 2006)

Company Credits

Production Co:

120dB Films, Catfish Productions, Code Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

82 min 82 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

At one point, William H. Macy's character says "F-ck you, f-ck the lot of you, f-ck you all!". Director David Mamet previously used this line in the film "Glengarry Glen Ross (it was shouted by Ed Harris's character).

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Goofs

The card handed to Edmond by "Man in Bar" shows the address as 46th St., but Edmond is instructed to go to 47th St.

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Quotes

Edmond: Behind every fear is a wish.

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Connections

References Glengarry Glen Ross (1992)

User Reviews

Provocotive though at times detached

Interesting, if not altogether captivating slice o' night and consequences of one Edmond Burke; a man who is driven to the edge, and all areas after, following his decision to essentially walk away from everything due to feeling unfulfilled in life. Working from this always relate-able premise, Mamet crafts a more intelligent, more realistic version of last decade's controversial but safe Falling Down, and in turn offers some of the year's best societal release. Problems arise however when the actions slow down and the talking speeds up, where monologues and even back and forth dialogs seem to be coming from the writer's mouth instead of the characters. This all goes south in the second half, where Macy's sermonizing kills some of the script's authenticity and integrity, due to the long-winded, self righteous, and ultimately distracting and uninvolved nature of his lines. For a film that approaches a gritty New York night with style and ease, with a scriptwriter as esteemed and knowledgeable as David Mamet, it was a shame to see some of the later scenes become a pulpit for Mr. Mamet to talk through instead of more subtle suggestion, but it is still far from making this movie avoidable. With some of William H Macy's most powerful work, Edmond is still a triumph of a character based thriller, leaving me satisfied with it's profound conclusion.