The Spanish Prisoner . Austin Chronicle . 11-09-98

The Spanish Prisoner

DIRECTED BY: David Mamet

REVIEWED: 11-09-98

I've never thought of myself as gullible, but after seeing The Spanish Prisoner, David Mamet's first great directorial effort since his debut with House of Games (1987), I might have to reconsider that. Mamet's writing is one thing. Mamet's directing (always from his own script) is something else altogether, and the staccato paces he puts his actors through takes some getting used to. But once you accustom yourself to phrases like "Dog my cats!," it is so much fun to peel away at the layers of a Mamet mystery. While you'd never know it from the title, The Spanish Prisoner is neither about Spain, nor involves a prisoner. It is actually a story about an abused working stiff named Joe (Scott) who develops a stock market "formula" that's going to make his company (and his boss) wealthy beyond imagination. Convinced that he's never going to get his due, our tragic hero ends up in a multi-faceted con game designed to separate him from the journal containing the precious secret. But what's really intriguing is that, even in retrospect, Joe's actions seem perfectly plausible, even though it is clearly ridiculous to, say, deliver an "innocent" package on a plane for someone. But watch the film a second time, and put yourself in Joe's shoes. Like me, you'll probably do it again.

--Christopher Null

Full Length Reviews
The Spanish Prisoner
The Spanish Prisoner
The Spanish Prisoner
The Spanish Prisoner

Capsule Reviews
The Spanish Prisoner

Other Films by David Mamet
The Winslow Boy

Film Vault Suggested Links
The Narrow Margin
Long Time Since
Insomnia

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