The Spanish Prisoner (1997)

User Rating:

7.3/10   

Director:

David Mamet

Writer (WGA):

David Mamet (written by)

Release Date:

3 April 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Can you really trust anyone?

Plot:

An employee of a corporation with a lucrative secret process is tempted to betray it. But there's more to it than that.

Plot Keywords:

Carousel | Self Reflexivity | Tennis | Camera | Boston Massachusetts

Awards:

3 nominations

Cast

Campbell Scott	...	Joseph A. 'Joe' Ross
Steve Martin	...	Julian 'Jimmy' Dell
Rebecca Pidgeon	...	Susan Ricci
Ben Gazzara	...	Mr. Klein
Ricky Jay	...	George Lang
Felicity Huffman	...	Pat McCune
Richard L. Friedman	...	Businessman
Jerry Graff	...	Businessman
G. Roy Levin	...	Businessman
Hilary Hinckle	...	Resort Concierge
David Pittu	...	Resort Manager
Christopher Kaldor	...	Dell's Bodyguard
Gary McDonald	...	Ticket Agent
Michael Robinson	...	Security Person
Olivia Tecosky	...	Flight Attendant

MPAA:

Rated PG for thematic elements including tension, some violent images and brief language.

Runtime:

110 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

USA:PG (certificate #35283) | Singapore:PG | Iceland:L | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Chile:14 | Finland:K-12 | France:U | Norway:11 | Portugal:M/12 | Sweden:11 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | UK:PG | Canada:PG

Filming Locations:

Central Park, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Jasmine Productions Inc.

Trivia:

A lot of similarities to 'The Water Engine'; a made for TV movie also written by David Mamet in which an inventor creates something special which he is paranoid (rightfully so) about maintaining the rights to (unsuccessfully, in both cases.)

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: When Joe Ross makes his way through the carousel, a movie light can be seen in the background with a crew member and cases also visible for a few moments to the right of the light.

Quotes:

Susan Ricci: Next time, be born Italian.

Movie Connections:

References Charade (1963)

Soundtrack:

I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now

A breezy Hitchcockian thriller

David Mamet's "The Spanish Prisoner" has been described by the writer-director as being "a light thriller-almost a romantic thriller. And a little Hitchcockian." The film lacks the visual style of a Hitch movie, but it makes up for it with a great script and a series of clever reversals toward the end. Many people complain that the plot is implausible, but Mamet always acknowledges this, often casting funny men (Steve Martin, Danny Devito, Tim Allen, Ed O'Neil) in serious, tough guy roles. His films are games, and this one is no different.

Campbell Scott plays Joe Ross, an unassuming fall guy who has invented a mysterious process worth a lot of money. Joe's boss promises to compensate him richly for the process, but Joe is sceptical. Will he really be paid for all his work? Joe's growing nervousness is subtly stoked by Jimmy Dell (played by Steve Martin), a charming and apparently wealthy new friend who...well, to say anything more about the film is to spoil the fun.

"The Spanish Prisoner" lacks the big set pieces to draw in the blockbuster crowd, but it's a nice little thriller, with a well written screenplay.

8/10- Like "Heist", "Spartan" and "House of Games", "The Spanish Prisoner" unfolds confidently, always thwarting expectation. The joy of Mamet is in recognising how carefully he straddles the line between cliché and genius, taking the conventional beats of the thriller/con/heist genre and using them to sing his own tune.