The Spanish Prisoner
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Movie Reviews of The Spanish Prisoner
Movie Review: One of my Top Ten of 1998
Summary: 5 Stars
You can forget the dreaded Fear of Foreign Films. "The Spanish Prisoner" is in English. In fact, it takes place in America. This movie is so great that I'm giving you but one clue about the title. It does not refer to a person. If you haven't seen it or read about it, but know what the term means, I doubt I'd want to be within a thousand miles of you. The director and writer, David Mamet, is both talented and prolific. His many writing credits include "Ronin", "Wag the Dog", "The Edge" and "The Untouchables". As good as his work is on big projects, he truly excels on smaller ones such as "The Spanish Prisoner", 1988's "Things Change", and 1987's "House of Games".
Reviewers relentlessly compare countless suspense thrillers to those of the master, Alfred Hitchcock. They cringe in horror at any remake of one of his films, even before it goes into production. Mamet's film follows the formula of the genre so perfectly that I suspect Hitch himself would have loved it and perhaps would not have seen an attempt to imitate his style.
What Mamet understands is that a thriller is not the same animal as a mystery. A thriller has less to do with who done it that it does with the suspense created by our trying to figure out how - or if - the main character is going to get out of the terrible mess he or she has gotten trapped in. I have always found this setting to be especially chilling, because it makes me think of a large spider's web.
You will note that it is rated PG. Don't be fooled by that innocent tag. It's dark, intense and devious. It is crammed with characters who lie, cheat and steal with style and relish. You could almost say they love their work. The movie is so rated because it's a rare example of substance over style.
Except for Steve Martin, the cast members have made careers by working in independent productions. I must tell you that Mr. Martin's character is serious, and he is excellent as an affable yet mysterious businessman.
"The Spanish Prisoner" has several layers to it. It may be the best film of its type you'll see this year, and on that level, it is pure entertainment. Underneath the fun and games, there is a chilling indictment of the way big business is conducted. David Mamet is most sophisticated, and the viewpoint is that things are run today in the same way they have been for centuries. When huge sums of money show up, even otherwise honest people can quickly be filled with greed and lust. Why, when the Spaniards arrived at what is now Mexico City, they encountered what was then the largest city in the world. What they saw was gold in quantities they never dreamed existed. Unfortunately for the Aztecs, they'd never bothered to have it appraised.
As in all of Mamet's work, "The Spanish Prisoner" is full of memorable dialog. I'll never know how this technique went out of style. "Hasta la vista, baby" does not a screenplay make. Dialog is the way characters are developed and defined. It also sets the tone. So Mamet's characters say words like this: "We must never forget we are human, and as humans we dream, and when we dream, we dream of money." Or this: "Never trust an enterprise that requires you to buy new clothes." These words easily connect us to the way the characters think and feel.
Movie Review: The Spanish Prisoner will take you captive.
Summary: 5 Stars
What refreshment! I loudly applaud the makers of this glorious film for standing up and showing the world that you don't need to spend the kind of money a third world country makes in a year just to tell a good story. This film was a pleasant surprise on a birthday theater date a couple of years ago. Rather than throwing all the punches it had to offer during the credits and exasperating the storyline within half an hour, this film presented itself like one of Emeril's dishes - plenty of spice, slowly but properly cooked, and with an occassional "bam!". I have always been a tremendous fan of Steve Martin - but have usually preferred his more intellectual films. He proved his genius and good taste in his updated versions of "Cyrano De Bergerac" and "Silas Marner" with the films "Roxanne" and "A Simple Twist of Fate". His participation in this film - along with a role that is an about face for him - solidifies his brilliance. This script is impeccable - Hitchcockian - and, as I understand from the credits - a remake of a black and white thriller.which I am now dying to see. It focuses on the subsequent circumstances the inventor of a "secret formula" finds himself drawn into. Rather than focusing on the formula, as many blockbusters would, the film takes a more intelligent twist, leaving the formula in the background and the audience more unsuspecting. Pigeon's performance as the love interest in the film may appear shallow through a first viewing, but a second viewing will make you sit up and notice the depth that she portrays. Our leading man portrays naivete in a manner so realistic, the film envelops an almost documentary atmosphere - which, in turn, delivers a far more sinister punch than it would if the central character were some type of superhuman character. As an "average joe", he easily gains sympathy and believability. In fact, the power of the film lies heavily in its' realistic direction and character development.
Unless you are impressed with detail and find a lack of eye candy to be somewhat of a relief, this film may not be for you. But, if you enjoy scripts that leave your mind spinning and planning a second viewing as the credit rolls by - this is the film for you.
Movie Review: Another Great Con-Game Movie From Mamet
Summary: 5 Stars
First, there is Mamet's dialogue: punchy, pungent, at once surreal and downright earthy, a pidgin English that starts out sounding weird and contrived in the actor's mouths and ends sounding as honest as breathing. Remember, this guy is also a Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright. Then there's Mamet's plotting: we know there are going to be "bad" people--masters of the Big Con--conniving to steal Campbell Scott's lucrartive "process" (one of the best MacGuffin's since Hitchcock), but trying to determine who's in on it and who's an innocent (?) bystander is one of the ongoing delightful puzzles of the movie. Mamet slowly reveals the true colors of his characters like a master at stud poker. Eventually poor Campbell realizes he's been robbed, framed and screwed eight ways til Sunday (in a brilliant interrogation scene where most of the pieces come together), and as viewers, we feel as tightly trapped as he does.
Finally there are the perfomaces: Scott's nicely understated playing of the niave but brainy techno-geek, Steve Martin's deft characterization of the moody, mysterious millionare, and Rebecca Pigeon's suspiciously winsome gal Friday. Many of Mamet's old "Chicago school" regulars show up, though poor Ricky Jay gets stuck mouthing a lot of platitudes--one of the few weakness of Mamet's script.
Yes, maybe this film isn't quite as brilliant as "House of Games," Mamet's previous exploration of the Big Con, but darn few movies are. The deus ex machina ending is less satisfying than "House"'s more character-driven conclusion, and I sure miss Joe Mantegna (no one spits out Mamet's dialog with quite his authority). Nonetheless, "Prisoner" stands up to multiple viewings without losing its appeal or mystery, and may in fact require more than one viewing in order to be truly appreciated for its labyrinthine plotting and underlying themes.
Movie Review: Mamet's style is an aquired taste- try it!
Summary: 5 Stars
David Mamet puts all of the importance on the script. His style of direction demands that "acting" not get in the way of the words. To quote his book, "True and False", "...there is no character. Only lines on a page." Acting should be no more than reacting. He wants the audience to do the lion's share of the work in accepting and interpreting, thereby insuring a complete, provocative and memorable experience- either positive or negative. This, of course is going to be most evident in the films he writes *and* directs. In "The Spanish Prisoner", as in most films and plays he writes and/ or directs, the idea is to put the ordinary individual in extraordinary situations. Nothing more than true drama. The writing- unrefined, gritty language, reflects our own regular speech- the action of the story would likely be akin to our own. Again, true drama. Some people do not care for Mamet's style simply because they a) have to do a bit of work and interpret on their own, or b) they find the whole experience uncomfortable. Well, no one said art should be pretty, it simply has to reflect our own reactions as humans and, in essence, project the individuals reactions to the extraordinary. In my experience, there is simply no more perfect contemporary theatrical experience than can be supplied by Mamet's words and direction. "The Spanish Prisoner" is one of the best films I've seen in years (right up there with "Homicide" and "The Water Engine"). By "best", I mean effective. It stays with you and evokes an emotional response...and, ultimately, isn't that what art is for?Movie Review: Mamet's Best Film. That's Right, his best
Summary: 5 Stars
Best film based on a work of Mamet's that I have seen. This is such a wonderful film. I think Campbell Scott is perfect for his role. All the cast is great. But the real strength of the film(of any Mamet film) is the story. Plain and simple. The way it flows. The way it builds. David Mamet knows how to write! (Unlike a lot of screenwriters today.) I can't emphasize enough just how good the dialogue in this movie is. You just don't get dialogue like this in movies today. Short and sweet. To the point. And the acting is the same way. That's the beauty of a Mamet film. No over-indulgences. The actors aren't contributing any "strong emotion" or "powerful performances". That's what could have ruined an ingenious story like this. But it didn't. Mamet has said before that some of the best actors were back in the old, classic films. Why? Because they were paid to do their job. Do what they had to do and nothing more. The story is what matters in this film. And it's a very good one. It keeps you hanging on and guessing till the very last sequence. Steve Martin has never been better. This is his best work, ever. That's right. And Carter Burwell's score is... perfect. The man writes brilliant music. I mean brilliant. There's Fargo, this, and now Being John Malkovich. That's one hell of a resume. Ben Gazarra's the man. If you want to see a smooth, intelligent, well-written movie, I very strongly recommend The Spanish Prisoner. As for these other reviewers who dismiss the film as "contrived", they obviously don't know what they're talking about. They're all a bunch of idiots......