The Spanish Prisoner

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source: The Spanish Prisoner

A really awful movie, with silly and stilted dialogue, and rotten directing! The plot was ludicrous and the second part of the movie was implausible. It was also thoroughly telegraphed, such that anyone older than 12 could predict what came next. Mamet should read a good mystery novel so he could see what a good and plausible plot looks like! A waste of time watching this movie, it was almost laughable!

I just got done watching The Spanish Prisoner on video and, while there is a lot to like about certain aspects of the film, I found that the plot had just a few too many holes in it and the pacing and direction were uneven. I enjoyed the performance of Campbell Scott as Joe Ross, the lead character. His character was subdued, but with something of an edge that you couldn't quite put your finger on. I also found that the twists and turns of the various plot devices were somewhat clever, but this was also the movie's Achilles heel. Without giving any plot devices away, there is simply NO WAY that even the most sophisticated organization could run such an elaborate con game. For every step that they would have to manipulate our Hero to, there are many potential problems that would crop up, and there are many contingency plans that would have to be developed. You would have to plan to have all the necessary people and resources available to achieve all your goals at every step of the way. For this plan to work the CIA and FBI combined couldn't have done the job. For the plot to work, you have to believe that Joe Ross would ABSOLUTELY make ONE particular decision at each juncture. If he makes any other decision (for example, he decides to even glance casually at the "Club Membership" agreement instead of just blindly signing it) then the entire plot falls apart. I'm led to believe, by reading external reviews, that this is supposed to be a well made, film-noir movie and that the characters are meant to talk..in..measured..staccato..deliberate..voices. I found that annoying. That's not how people talk, and it takes my attention away from what they're saying. The direction was peculiar in a number of instances. For example, some scenes were believable, following from events that came before. Others seemed out of place, as though inserted as an afterthought, the ambiance wholly different from the scenes before or after it. Hey, I like mystery/thriller/con movies as much as anyone, and I liked this one (a little bit). But creating a successful con game for such a movie is a difficult job, yet it's the most important part of the movie. Mamet didn't quite develop his con game enough so, on a scale of 1-10, I'd give "The Spanish Prisoner" a 3.

Well, if they learned one thing from making this film, I hope it's that Mamet should never sit in a director's chair again. I'm not prejudiced against Mamet. I like some of his films, particularly Glengarry Glen Ross, which is actually one of my favorites. But The Spanish Prisoner plays and sounds like a high school production. Literally. I cannot for the life of me understand how this film can be called intelligent. Yes, it does not rely on violence, sex, swearing, drugs, alcohol, traffic violations, or even jaywalking to at least make it interesting. So call it a moral film, whatever that means. Oh, yes, it has a "plot." I assume that is why it's called intelligent. I sat through this "plot" not knowing a thing about the film and I could see and hear the twists coming like I was tied to a post watching a host of bison pounding impending death into my ears. Plus it had more holes in it than a room full of acupuncture patients. To begin, the editing was AWFUL, particularly the initial 30 minutes. Typically, when two characters walk into a room, it really does look like they were engrossed in conversation before walking in front of the camera. But in TSP, it looks like Mamet had just given the go ahead to roll tape. It played like it was made up of strips of paper cut up with scissors and then glued together. There might as well have been a speedbump noise every time there was a scene change. And the dialogue?! What is even more discouraging than the abysmal quality of most films coming out now is when we're sold a piece of goods and people are convinced that it's intelligent. At least with the first problem, we're merely disgruntled. With the second, we're delusional. I find that depressing. So this film depressed me for that reason. How contrived TSP is is metaphorically represented by the prime element of its plot structure: "The System." OK? I don't mind vague points. But this is just lazy. Why couldn't he just have made it top-secret information which could be used for insider trading? Or information about a revolutionary new product? The plot of Episode I: The Phantom Menace? Mamet may be acclaimed as a "genius," but he has to do more than throw out a script with a twist to have me sacrificing my first-born to his word processor. I will grant you that art is not life. That said, it should not be more artificial than artifice requires. If Mamet hopes to continue holding an audience made up of more than sophomoric dilettantes, he should take some advice from another author. The "overdone or come tardy off," though it might impress some, "cannot but make the judicious grieve." Reform it altogether, David.

I finally got to see this film again. I love this film. But I realized after another viewing with a savvy partner that there are just too many holes in the plot and Mamet isn't quite as clever as we first think or would like to believe. Too many plot twists just don't make sense on second viewing. I'd always recommend this movie.. it's fascinating and has great performances but I think the audience is easily tricked into finding it brilliant. Maybe someone can explain why Martin's character is so easily found in the car showroom. Did I miss something there? And what if Campbell Scott's person had actually tried to deliver the tennis book directly to Martin's sister. That would have been the end of the story, period.

My friends have all told me to see this film and that it's the greatest. I've always loved David Mamet's work too and figured this had to be awesome. When I saw it, I was very disappointed. It's a weak film that has a sluggish pace, terrible acting (Steve Martin's the only one who isn't bad, but is wasted), and a predictable story. I didn't find this film tricky at all as people have said. My advice, rent HOUSE OF GAMES, which is a much better paced, acted and plotted film from Mamet.

"The Spanish Prisoner" comes closer to Hitchcock than anything I've seen in a long, long time. The cast is excellent; I haven't seen Campbell Scott in a movie since he was much younger, but he really turned in a great performance, loaded with nuance and subtlety. Steve Martin is truly outstanding--I think it's fair to say that this is one of his career's best performances. The only clunker is Rebecca Pidgeon; her character is poorly written, and she's not much of an actress. Just between you and me, I think she only got the job because she's sleeping with the director (she's Mamet's wife). Ed O'Neill even shows up halfway through the film with a nice cameo. I don't want to give away much about the story for those who haven't seen TSP, but it really is amazing. Many of the plot twists actually made me laugh--not because they were ridiculous, but because they were so ingeniously crafted and actually plausible. Since he wrote AND directed the movie, though, David Mamet let himself get away with a few bad lines and one or two hokey plot devices. In the greater context of the movie, however, they're forgivable.

THE SPANISH PRISONER (1998) *** Campbell Scott, Steve Martin, Rebecca Pidgeon, Ben Gazzara, Ricky Jay, Felicity Huffman, Ed O' Neill. Excellently paced Hitchcockian thriller with everyman/epitome of guilelessness bland Scott as an inventor of an unspecified top secret `process' who finds himself suckered into an ultimately intricate con involving mystery man Martin (surprisingly effective) who takes him under his wing and suspiciously smitten temp Pidgeon in a whirlwind of doublecrossing, backs tabbing, good old fashioned murder and chicanery. Written and directed with sheer craft by David Mamet; the rush of getting caught up in the deliberately modulated set-up is only half the fun.

I rented this movie after checking its rating on the IMDB. I got a bunch of friends together and told them "it's supposed to be like The Usual Suspects..." We were all excited, and then we hit the PLAY button. This movie was SO BAD, that at many times we would argue over whether or not to turn it off and watch regular Sunday night television instead. Particularly Rebecca Pidgeon, who had the lead female role, was so unbelievably annoying and terrible, that my friends and I were rooting for her to get "bumped off" so we wouldn't have to hear her any more. Take my advice, and spend your money ANYWHERE else.