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The Spanish Prisoner on DVD (1998)

The Spanish Prisoner cover art
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Average rating: 68%
1113620141447
3.0
from 257 members
 
Starring: Ben Gazzara, Felicity Huffman, Ricky Jay, Steve Martin, Rebecca Pidgeon, Campbell Scott
Director: David Mamet
Studio: PATHE DISTRIBUTION
Run time: 105 mins
Certificate: PG
User collections: Some of Droog's faves, The Big Con, JT
Genres: Thriller
Languages: English
Released: 30/06/2003

Brief synopsis of The Spanish Prisoner

Moody, austere, and unabashedly clever, THE SPANISH PRISONER is familiar ground for puzzle-loving writer-director David Mamet. Campbell Scott plays the Hitchcockian hero Joe Ross, an unassuming fall guy who has invented a mysterious process worth an unnamed, but presumably enormous, figure. Joe's share in the reward is uncertain, however, and his growing nervousness is subtly stoked by Jimmy Dell (Steve Martin), a charming and apparently wealthy new friend. Suddenly Joe finds himself wondering who he can trust: his boss, his friends, Jimmy, the FBI, or even the girl at work who has a crush on him (Rebecca Pidgeon, speaking her husband's lines as only she can). The big con is always fun to watch from the inside, but Mamet knows it's even more fun when the audience is on the outside, left to imagine the con as all-encompassing so that everyone and everything is suspect. The fine ensemble acting and terse, loaded dialogue add to the atmosphere of total suspense while the muted but rich production design produces a too-believable longing in Joe, whose tiniest greedy qualm is still enough to spell disaster.

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Critics Reviews

Rating of 4 stars out of 5 Radio Times

Writer/director David Mamet returns to the themes of his first film, House of Games, in this adroit fable about the simple-mindedness of complex-minded executives. Campbell Scott is the corporation inventor who's concerned about his employer's integrity — cue smoothly plausible Steve Martin and an elaborate and totally convincing con played on the audience as well as the hapless Scott. Rebecca Pidgeon (Mamet's real-life wife) plays the femme fatale in a tale told with all the cunning of a three-card trick: now you see it, now you don't.

Rating of 2 stars out of 4 Halliwell's Film Guide

A clever, intriguing game of double-cross and treble bluff that keeps the audience, as well as its characters, guessing throughout.

Time Out

On a Caribbean trip to discuss his as yet secret, invaluable new 'process' with his boss Klein (Gazzara), whizz kid Joe... Read more on www.timeout.com

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Members Reviews

Reviews Voted Most Helpful

Rated - 4 starsWorth watching.

Hugh Craig from Leicester UK , 09/06/2004

An intricate athough somewhat far-fetched thriller which kept me glued to the screen. Recommended

  4 out of 5 people found this review helpful
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Rated - 3 starsSPANISH PRISONER

Anni Bales from Kent, England , 18/01/2005

Slow to get going, started to get into it, then got bored with the endless twists and turns which became all too predictable. Weak ending with already somewhat incredible characters losing last vestige of credibility.

However still better than most of last years offerings and worth a watch.

  4 out of 5 people found this review helpful
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Rated - 3 starsSlow Burning but Effective Con Thriller

Samuel Tyler from Reading, England , 10/03/2005

The Spanish Prisoner takes its name from one of the oldest confidence trick known. A rich man promises the hand of his sister for the aid of a noble man. This update of the idea takes place in modern day America where a mathematician is near completion of a formula that will make his company billions. However, things begin to get darker when he befriends a rich businessman and begins to fall for the new secretary.

The Spanish Prisoner is a slow burning film that takes a while to get going but when it does you really feel for the character being taken for a ride. He does not know who to trust and is only vice is being too nice.

The film shows its low budget and the pace could have been faster but as an intelligent adult film it holds its own. If you liked ?Matchstick Men? and ?Confidence? but prefer your films a little more highbrow then this could be for me.

  3 out of 3 people found this review helpful
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Rated - 3 starsGreat film shame about the ratio

David Thompson from Nottingham , 22/10/2005

Unfortunately this film only appears in 4:3 ratio. Still worth seeing if only to see Steve Martin doing something decent.

  3 out of 3 people found this review helpful
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Most Recent Reviews

Rated - 4 starsWorth watching.

Hugh Craig from Leicester UK , 09/06/2004

An intricate athough somewhat far-fetched thriller which kept me glued to the screen. Recommended

  4 out of 5 people found this review helpful
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Rated - 3 starsSlow Burning but Effective Con Thriller

Samuel Tyler from Reading, England , 10/03/2005

The Spanish Prisoner takes its name from one of the oldest confidence trick known. A rich man promises the hand of his sister for the aid of a noble man. This update of the idea takes place in modern day America where a mathematician is near completion of a formula that will make his company billions. However, things begin to get darker when he befriends a rich businessman and begins to fall for the new secretary.

The Spanish Prisoner is a slow burning film that takes a while to get going but when it does you really feel for the character being taken for a ride. He does not know who to trust and is only vice is being too nice.

The film shows its low budget and the pace could have been faster but as an intelligent adult film it holds its own. If you liked ?Matchstick Men? and ?Confidence? but prefer your films a little more highbrow then this could be for me.

  3 out of 3 people found this review helpful
Report offending content.

Read all highest rated reviews