State and Main – A Quirky Flick That Takes You for a Ride

You know that feeling you get when you’re watching a film and you’re like, “Why does this feel so weirdly familiar?” That’s pretty much what happened when I sat down to watch **State and Main**, directed by the brilliant David Mamet. This flick is like a typical day in a small Swedish town when the folk dance troupe decides to put on a show—kind of chaotic, a bit inappropriate, and strangely captivating.

The film stars some heavy hitters like Philip Seymour Hoffman, Alec Baldwin, and there’s even a bit of William H. Macy. Love those lads. They’re basically a film crew that descends on a sleepy Vermont town, causing all sorts of mayhem—as if it were midsummer in Svedala and people forgot how to drive around a roundabout.

Now, I gotta tell you, Maggie, my old neighbor, loved Hoffman. She once told me during a coffee chat (och du vet hur det är med svenska kaffepauser) that he’d bring an unexpected warmth and kindness to every role. She’s not wrong here—watch his character trying to write while everyone’s losing their minds… it’s pure gold.

A quick note on the humor: it’s razor-sharp but not overly pretentious, reminding me of those dry jokes you crack at midsummer to see who’s still sober enough to laugh. The film playfully pokes at the madness of filmmaking in a way that feels, well, real. It’s not all roses, though. Some parts feel rushed—like a tunnelbana on a Sunday, you just wish it’d slow down a bit.

And somewhere in the middle, you might ponder silently, “Who’s really controlling the show here?”

Maybe skip the usual movie theatre fika, though. You might snort your cinnamon bun out your nose at some of the antics. So, have a laugh, ogle the scenery, and maybe, just maybe, think back to those small, odd adventures you’ve had, shaking your head with a knowing smile.

Check the trailer below