Homicide (1991)

Synopsis: In HOMICIDE, writer-director David Mamet begins with the cinematic stereotype of the tough cop--Bobby Gold (Joe Mantegna), a detective hot on the heels of a fugitive named Randolph (Ving Rhames). But Gold gets sidetracked when a Jewish family requests that he be assigned to the... In HOMICIDE, writer-director David Mamet begins with the cinematic stereotype of the tough cop--Bobby Gold (Joe Mantegna), a detective hot on the heels of a fugitive named Randolph (Ving Rhames). But Gold gets sidetracked when a Jewish family requests that he be assigned to the investigation of their matriarch's murder. It isn't long before the stereotype breaks down and Gold is revealed as a self-hating Jew who has spent his life seeking the approval of tough guys, having gone so far as to become one himself. Meanwhile, the case leads him to discover a clandestine war between an anti-Semitic group and a Zionist league--which calls on Gold to ignore his duty as a cop and remember his duty as a Jew. As in other Mamet films (especially THE SPANISH PRISONER), Gold is a hero who scratches the surface one day, only to discover that the world is far more complicated than he ever imagined and that he must make moral choices he never planned on making. Perennial Mamet actors Rebecca Pidgeon, William H. Macy, and Ricky Jay lend support in minor but pivotal roles. [More]