Henry Johnson (2025)

[BluBonnet]

Couldn't find any threads for this!

David Mamet Recently Wrapped A Film With Shia LaBeouf

As Shia LaBeouf looks to become a Deacon, the actor is getting heaps of praise from his Pulitzer Prize winning filmmaker David Mamet, he’s being called “magnificent,” with the director saying “I’ve never worked with a greater actor in my life.”

Mamet praised LaBeouf during a weekend conversation on Bill Maher’s Club Random podcast. LaBoeuf’s name came up after Mamet revealed that he recently wrapped a film with LaBeouf, though he didn’t specify what the project was.

LaBeouf starred in Mamet’s play “Henry Johnson” at Venice’s Electric Lodge in NYC.

“I’m saying that as an actor, I’ve never worked with a greater actor in my life. I’ve worked with everybody, and as a human being, he’s just a magnificent human being,” Mamet said during the interview. Maher then asked Mamet why LaBeouf has “a reputation as such a dick.” Mamet replied that he has “no idea,” and he only has “unlimited respect” for the actor, adding that “at one point, he hit bottom.”

Last year, LaBeouf had revealed that Mamet wanted to film an adaptation of “Henry Johnson” play for the big screen. Is this the project they shot together? I’ll have to dig into my sources and update this post accordingly.

Laboeuf plays the cellmate of the show’s titular character, a lawyer who is behind bars for his illegal activities. The show also made the news for Mamet’s refusal to invite critics to showings. If they wanted to review the play then they had to buy a ticket.

Mamet hasn’t directed a film since 2008’s “Redbelt.” His indelibly stylish dialogue can be seen and heard in some of his best-known works, those include “House of Games”, “Homicide”, “Glengary Glen Ross”, “Wag the Dog”, “The Spanish Prisoner” and “Heist.” All superb films.

Mamet is known for his wittily acidic dialogue. In fact, a term was invented for his style of writing: “Mamet speak.” Mamet's style of writing is cynical, edgy, street and precisely crafted for effect.

[BluBonnet]

The movie is reportedly titled Henry Johnson...

David Mamet's ‘Henry Johnson,' Starring Shia LaBeouf, Was Shot in Just Five Days

David Mamet hasn’t directed a film since 2008’s underrated “Redbelt.” His indelibly stylish dialogue can be seen and heard in many great films, including “The Verdict,” “The Untouchables,” “Glengary Glen Ross,” and “Wag the Dog.”

I’m hearing Mamet recently wrapped production on his next film, titled “Henry Johnson,” starring Shia LaBoeuf, and that it was shot in just five days. The plan is to release it sometime this year. This would make it Mamet’s first directorial effort in over 15 years.

“Henry Johnson” is based on Mamet’s play, which had 2023 off-Broadway showings at Venice’s Electric Lodge in NYC. Laboeuf plays the cellmate of the show’s titular character, a lawyer who is behind bars for his illegal activities. It’s being described as a “tense prison drama” about a “convict hoping for redemption.”

Coming off his batsh*t crazy performance in Francis Ford Coppola’s “Megalopolis,” LaBoeuf has Bjorn Franklin’s “Salvable” in post-production, and recently dropped out of Eugene Kotlyarenko’s next film, just days before production was set to begin. LaBeouf’s exit was, in his own words, “on account of the unprofessional and unprepared nature of the production.”

Mamet is known for his wittily acidic dialogue. In fact, a term was invented for his style of writing: “Mamet-speak.” Mamet's style of writing is cynical, edgy, street and precisely crafted for effect. Two of Mamet’s more recent scripts, Barry Levinson’s “Assassination” and Cameron Van Hoy’s “The Prince” have been shot and will likely be released this year.

“Assassination” starring Jessica Chastain, Al Pacino, Bryan Cranston and Brendan Fraser, deals with how notorious Chicago mobster Sam Giancana arranged the assassination of President John F. Kennedy as revenge for trying to bring down organized crime, this after the mob helped put JFK in the White House.

[spider-neil]

No no no no no no no

[saxomaphone]

“I’ve never worked with a greater actor in my life.”

Looks like David Mamet is hitting early onset of dementia.

[Cremildo]

[BluBonnet]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5u0INUpDBU

[BluBonnet]

Metacritic

[OnlyJapantown]

This is available to watch via digital rental.

A very minimalist thing, which wears its theatrical roots on its sleeve. It consists of 4 long scenes at 4 different locations, with characters doing the trademark Mametspeak in service of a surprisingly twisty story.

The movie's weakness is its biggest star, Shia LaBeouf, who doesn't project the charisma required for his character. His character gets very one-note very quickly, and unfortunately he takes up a significant part of the runtime. All others acquit themselves well but Chris Bauer completely steals the show, which has a dampening effect on the movie - once he's gone after the first scene, the movie never gets as exciting again.

Overall I liked it though and I'd recommend this for admirers of Mamet.