The Spanish Prisoner (1998)

Powerful

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

For the benefit of those who haven't seen the film, 'The Spanish Prisoner' is a con game playing to a victim's vanity and greed. I didn't know that before watching the picture, but have seen the modern day, internet equivalent in action that goes by the name of a Nigerian Money Transfer. Same idea, you'll get rich if you shell out some cash to help out a 'rich' unfortunate in a foreign country. Sure, and there are bridges in New York City you can buy too. This was a compelling and intriguing story up to the point when Joe Ross (Campbell Scott) knew he was duped. Then it sort of fell apart under it's own complexity. What gave it away was one main thing. In a glaring unforced error in screen writing, Ross's contact at the FBI accepted his cold call and agreed to meet him at a questionable location. Ross, who was smart enough to come up with 'a process' that would control the global market for his company, didn't have an inkling that the odds of getting face time with an agent were virtually nil on the basis of an anonymous phone call. That one instance lowered the credibility factor of the story for me, and then it was a patient wait to see how it all played out. One thing though, I'd never seen Steve Martin in a serious role before and I thought he did a great job as the enigmatic Julian 'Jimmy' Dell. His role was critical in setting up the scam, the grift as it were, The Spanish Prisoner trap for Ross. I liked what he had to say about good people/bad people, that people generally look like what they are. I've often come to that same conclusion myself, it's sort of an intuition you get about someone who might not be playing it straight with you. I thought Jimmy Dell was giving off that vibe even while being generous to a fault with Ross. But if you're looking for that switch with the red bound book containing 'the process', you're not going to see it. The camera never leaves the book when it was positioned on the ledge by the phony FBI agent and then handed back to Ross. You just have to take it on faith that the scam was pulled off. So without analyzing things too thoroughly the film is a good enough mystery flick, but still, it's the little things that bother me. Like the switch Joe Ross himself made with the Budge tennis book. It turned out to be a maguffin of sorts with no bearing on the outcome of the story, just like Jimmy Dell's 'sister' ruse. And in the end, Joe Ross WAS the victim of an elaborate scam because his process notes were gone along with his expected big time pay day. Some days, it just doesn't pay to chew through the restraints.

I love a bit of Steve Martin. So I was very enthusiastic while looking through his movies when I found this one. A nice high-rated crime/mystery/thriller from David Mamet with Steve Martin! Sounds great!But, unfortunately, it was probably one of the least thrilling thrillers I've ever watched. Predictable, with plot holes, indifferent directing and naive scenario. ***Spoilers*** (Even though the whole movie was a big spoil)Just to name a few cringe moments: - why is Susan throughout the movie actively trying to convince the "hero" that Jimmy Dell wasn't actually on that hydroplane? She's in on it... you'd think she'd want to keep quiet about it. why did Susan help him escape the police from the NY airport and drove him to Boston, only to then slip him a gun so he'd be arrested by the police. The airplane ticket she had was a return ticket from St. Estephe back to NY... in her name. And he would use that ticket to fly himself from Boston back to St. Estephe. Its an airplane ticket not a refund coupon for Walmart.If everything was setup by his boss Mr. Klein why did he bail him out, not press charges and beg him to return the book? Ridiculous!!The worst of all... why are con artists still around chasing Joe on the airport and boat scene? They have the book... they've setup everything to accuse Joe... it's over. They need nothing else from him. Just leave and you're home free. But they hang around for some reason and chase him. Even though they want nothing from him. Monumental idiotic! And just think about it for a minute... The con artists didn't really need anything from Joe. They had the second key from Mr Klein, so they had the book at any time they wanted. They could setup everything to frame Joe without him even getting involved. What was all the other silly nonsense about? Creating a fake sister, a fake FBI agent, a fake apartment, club etc. All that to make him bring the book... which they had access to all along. Pathetic!And just to mention few completely silly and embarrassing moments: the woman shouting at the baby "You got your FINGERPINTS all over the BOOK" two or three times! Yes yes!! We got it!! We got it half an hour ago!! Joe painfully asking Susan a few times why she was a criminal. "Why"? Wow... talk naive scenario.They could however fix this whole movie with adding just one punchline. And I offer this free of charge for the "director's cut" version of the movie. When the US Marshals van leaves and he's left all alone on the pier at the end of the movie he could just turn towards the camera and say "Gotcha Suckers!". Then all the Steve Martin fans would understand this movie is actually a parody from Bowfinger productions!

I was tempted to run screaming from the room after viewing the first twenty or so minutes of The Spanish Prisoner due to its less than desirable bunch of actors. However, I was intrigued in spite of myself and ended up finishing the film. A man is hired by his boss to work on a top- secret project and espionage ensues. The writing was phenomenal, in my opinion. I would have preferred to read this as a novel as the plot is only slightly predictable and there are so many twists that no one could figure it out entirely. The acting is simply sophomoric. I think David Mamet should fire the person who did the casting. However, the writing was good enough to balance out the atrocity of the acting, hence my rating of 5.

This movie was made in 1997 and for its time it worked. I remember seeing it at the theater and being completely satisfied with the plot and various twists and turns.After seeing it for the second time today, I have to admit there are a number of quirky out-of-date elements that take away from the pace and validity of the plot. First, I did not remember the outcome or most of the plot. That's why I decided to watch it again. Second, I think the dialogue and the plot are outdated now. I have to believe this is a mystery/drama that has outlived our evolution as movie-goers. It is a good example of how our expectations and general knowledge/stimulus has evolved over time - this example being 12 years old. I found the dialogue to be slow and stilted at first and in fact thought the actors were uncomfortable with themselves; almost "reading" their lines in the first 2/3rds of the movie. The plot now has plenty of holes - why would a smart man fall for the way the "Spanish Prisoner" grift was performed? Clearly we have increased our sophistication with regard to plot and acting since 1997. The end is still well done and I believe the last 3rd of the movie is worth the time spent. I rate it a 6 out of ten for entertainment, but the entertainment also includes the awareness of how the movie doesn't work that well for 2009.