Writer-director David Mamet is known for his biting dialogue and colorful metaphors. He is the man responsible for such films as Glengarry Glen Ross, The Edge, and last years The Spanish Prisoner.

Mamet switches gears with The Winslow Boy, a sly period-piece that actually received a G rating. Like Martin Scorcese's brilliant The Age Of Innocence, Mamet has fashioned a film that seems like a major departure, but still has that Mamet touch--rapid-fire dialogue.

The film takes place in England and revolves around the title character, a young boy who is expelled from school for a crime he may or may not have committed. His justice-seeking father (brilliantly played by Nigel Hawthorne) takes the case to court where he risks his family's reputation. However, the best performance comes from Jeremy Northam, as the young boy's attorney. He's strong-willed and has a wit about him that makes for a very compelling character.

The film's biggest strength is, quite obviously, the screenplay. Mamet is one of the premiere screenwriters and playwrights of our time and proves it again with this story of justice, the media, and what is right. The Winslow Boy is an extremely well written and very restrained masterpiece