Filmmakers aspiring to make the perfect thriller should take a lesson from David Mamet.

Mamet's latest film, Homicide, which he wrote and directed, blends gritty police drama with interesting social questions.

Joe Mantegna plays Robert Gold, an inner-city police officer. As the film opens, Gold and his partner search for a most-wanted criminal.

However, Gold stumbles onto another murder scene and must solve that crime, which he at first feels lays beneath his skills.

This new case involves a Jewish woman, and Gold's Jewish roots begin to make him feel obligated to follow the case more zealously.

In fact, Gold obsesses over the case, finding angles and motives dealing with all manner of improbability, sympathizing with the victim's acquaintances to the point of breaking the law.

Mamet achieves a tightly woven, yet uncliched structure. The plot twists really surprise the viewer rather than merely confirming suspicions.

Mamet even finds time to wax philosophical, as we watch Gold struggle with his lack of religious fervor. Some of these asides dribble into oddity, since Gold seems a little hard-edged to talk in such other-worldly terms.

But minor breaks in the characterization don't disturb the film's rhythm. They add a level of complexity to Gold.

Homicide also proves measurably exciting. Where you find cops, you find guns; and cars hitting other cars and exploding; and a lone cop creeping through a sewer in the dark.

In short, Mamet provides some interesting -- and suspenseful --action. And he does it without a minimum of violence.

A not-too-preachy lesson balances the cop story. Watching Gold discover his heritage allows the audience to make up its own mind about the validity of the message. Of course, it's more pointed than that, but at least Mamet tries to strike a balance.

Homicide seems to have everything -- a well-defined protagonist, twists and even a modicum of action. Frankly, I can't understand why it took a group of students to bring it here.