Val is also hit or miss with me, but I love him so very much when he hits: Top Secret, Tombstone, Real Genius.

His flicks are clever and dense, but often emotionally frigid.

Agreed. Also, is it me, or are there not very many female protagonists in Mamet works, and for "not very many" read none? Certainly, I saw Glengarry Glen Ross and was really struck by the total absence of females.

(I remember putting myself into the position of the guy receiving these solicitation phone calls, and realizing that the sales pitch -- the time pressure, the browbeating -- would never, ever have worked on me. I don't think that's a gendered thing particularly. But, I'm still learning about how stupid and malleable people can really be. That character probably bought vinyl siding and subscriptions to the newspaper once a week.)

Mamet not so much with the writing, respecting or being interested in women.

Dudes, Willow.

Mamet not so much with the writing, respecting or being interested in women.

But in his essay on "Bitches" it's clear he's really drawn to very strong women, including Lindsay Crouse who's no daisy.

Also, is it me, or are there not very many female protagonists in Mamet works, and for "not very many" read none?

Well, Oleanna's a two-hander - but I seem to remember reading an interview with him a couple of years ago wherein he was all "look, enough already with this business of the play being ambiguous! she's evil! he's right!" And the female character in the three-hander Speed the Plow isn't the most positive of creatures.

I think he's good with dialogue (although it's a fucking bitch to learn) and he brings up some very interesting and thought provoking issues. But I also think it's quite possible that he's a pillock.

How about Nurse Betty? That's got a female protagonist, but I've not seen it. I remember it got pretty good reviews?

The only one of his I can think offhand with a gender-balanced cast is Sexual Perversity in Chicago, and even that's very much the guys' play.

I have an unhealthy affection for Mamet's Heist, the Gene Hackman caper movie. The dialogue is very snappy and stagey and it just appeals to me, in spite of how oddly all the people behave in the movie. I think the terrific supporting actors like Delroy Lindo and Ricky Jay really hook me too.

Mamet not so much with the writing, respecting or being interested in women.

In which case, I'm just as happy to have no female characters than lame or evil ones.

Nurse Betty is Neil Labute (ptooi!), not Mamet. It has its fans. I am not among them.

(I think the reason why Mamet's lack of interest in women doesn't offend me is that, unlike LaBute, he doesn't pretend fo be a feminist. He's a guy who writes about GUYS, period.)