Oleanna

Mamet's film of his controversial play sensibly resists the temptation to 'open out' the material for the screen; it stays a two-hander and the focus remains on the switchback of argument and counter-argument. Macy's the slightly pompous college professor accused by angry student Eisenstadt of sexual misconduct, yet the issue is directed less toward the actual physical detail of the incident, rounding more on the whole male/female nexus of elitism, authority and power that's almost a given in our everyday experiences. Are the conventions of social interaction harmless, or are they to be picked apart by the revisionist ethics of political correctness? Mamet shows both sides of the coin and allows the audience to continue to argue it out among themselves - which they did, frequently, in theatre foyers. Expect this straightforward, compelling adaptation to provoke just the same level of domestic debate. As ever, the writing is rich, flexible, masterly.