An adaptation of David Mamet's play about three characters living on the far fringes of respectability and their plot to heist a coin collection, American Buffalo brings with it all the problems usually associated with transferring a stage work to film. On screen it comes off as talky and claustrophobic; after all, there's only a limited number of ways to shoot guys sitting around a pawn shop talking. On the other hand, terrific source material with typically Mamet-sharp dialogue has a way of shining through its dull trappings. Nevertheless, the performances of Dustin Hoffman, Dennis Franz, and Sean Nelson (star of 1994's criminally overlooked Fresh) never quite gel as a whole. While it's tempting to recommend American Buffalo simply because it's unlikely the cast will show up to put on a performance in anyone's hometown, viewers are better off seeing a movie they can leave with less ambivalence.