American Buffalo (1997)

David Mamet's plays, including this tale of two-bit shysters, are catnip for actors eager to wax gritty. In American Buffalo, it's Dustin Hoffman as Teach, a criminal master in his own mind, and Dennis Franz as Don, his reluctant partner. Planning to steal a rare buffalo-head nickel, the two argue endlessly about breaking and entering, only to reaffirm their loser status. The actors play off each other uneasily: Hoffman's rat-a-tat-tat performance is magnetic but bombastic, whereas Franz grippingly measures out his anger. Director Michael Corrente has opened up the play modestly, which makes for a snug fit on video. But while the movie showcases Mamet's poetic moxie in spades, it winds up talking itself into a corner.

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