American Buffalo

Directed by Michael Corrente, American Buffalo follows Dustin Hoffman’s Teach and Dennis Franz’s Donny as their scheme to steal valuable coins is inevitably thwarted by their own incompetence. Filmmaker Michael Corrente offers up a stagy adaptation of David Mamet’s eponymous play that remains woefully unable to capture the viewer’s attention, and there’s little doubt, certainly, that the chatter-heavy atmosphere is compounded by a general (and disastrous) lack of forward momentum – with, especially, the meandering, plot-free opening stretch establishing a decidedly arms-length feel that persists throughout. And while Corrente has admittedly included a small handful of stirring sequences that all-too-briefly elevate one’s dwindling interest, with this particularly true of the initial planning of said heist, American Buffalo, despite its strong performances, predominantly comes off as a persistently lackluster endeavor that confirms some plays just aren’t suited to the silver screen.

** out of ****