Rating: 
Summary: Mamet's Best
Review: If you can look beyond the usual staccato Mametian dialogue and the uneveness always caused by casting Mamet's wife Rebecca Pidgeon in the leading female role, then you've got yourself a very fine movie - probably David Mamet's best as writer/director in my opinion. I know many people will choose 'House of Games,' but I thought the 'Prisoner' storyline was better, and I really like the work turned in by Mamet novices Campbell Scott (whose combination of brains and naivete drives the film), Ben Gazzara and especially Steve Martin, who plays totally against type here.In the Mamet-penned 'Wag the Dog' we hear over and over again "It's a pageant." Replace that here with "It's a process." We hear over and over again about The Process. We never find out what exactly the Process is (that's not the point), but all actions and reactions in 'Prisoner' involve securing, stealing and resecuring The Process. It's a classic Mametian plot device and it works great here. For Mamet fans, there's a subset of regulars, most notably Mamet house players Ricky Jay and Jerry Graff. ['Glengarry Glen Ross' fans ought to recognize that name.] Also - be on the lookout for Ed O'Neill for a brief - but memorable - turn as an FBI Team Leader. And keep your eyes on that suitcase.
Rating: 
Summary: One of my Top Ten of 1998
Review: 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.
Rating: 
Summary: A Cure for Insomnia
Review: With the exception of Campbell Scott`s convincing acting, this movie has little or nothing to offer. This is supposed to be a suspenseful mistery about what people seem to be and what they really are, a subject that is presented in most of director David Mamet`s films. However, the plot is contrived at best, the pacing drags endlessly and the characters are just tepid and souless, excepting the lead that somewhat makes the viewer care a bit. The acting is also far from excellent and the direction does nothing to improve the slowness of the movie. The plot twists are quite irrelevant too, since the story is so uninteresting. "The Spanish Prisoner" is just another forgettable and useless movie about cons and burglars, and it`s as bad as "Heist", another Mamet film that goes nowhere and also fails to engage.
A good one to ignore.
Rating:
Summary: Good Con Movie
Review: A very clever story with many intricate plot twists to keep you guessing. However, all of the twists are realistic and never gratuitous or done without purpose. The movie moves along with excellent pace without feeling rushed or forced. Steve Martin and Campbell Scott are excellent. There are a couple of secondary characters who seem to be overracting or are at least very deliberate; By the end of the movie you'll realize that this is appropiate and not caused by bad acting.
Rating:
Summary: Mamet's Best Film. That's Right, his best
Review: 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......
Rating:
Summary: Directing falls short
Review: (4 stars is generous -- consider this a strong 3.5) David Mamet has proven his writing worth many times over. For quite some time, he has been one of the finest dramatic authors for the stage, and has recently proven his ability to write for the screen with Glengarry Glen Ross, Wag The Dog, and the excellent script that is The Spanish Prisoner. We have here the definition of a "taut thriller." The acting is quite good. One weak spot can be found in Rebecca Pidgeon, but her flat and lackluster performance is generally made up for by Campbell Scott and Steve Martin. The acting coupled with the script immediately draws you into this intriguing story of The Process and how it affects its creator, Joe Ross (Scott). As good as Mamet's script may be, however, his heavy-handed directing tips its hand. There are enough small hints in the dialogue, enough subtle clues in the surrounding, that the plot's twists and turns would be believable. Unfortunately, Mamet felt the need to throw a few blatant foreshadowed bits in our face to dumb down the film to be sure everyone would "get" the ending. It wasn't necessary, and it turned a great script into a good movie. Is it worth seeing? Sure; it's a great example of how a thriller should be written. Is it worth buying to watch again and again? No. Besides, the DVD features are near nil -- it's got a trailer, and 3-channel dolby surround sound. Save your money, and make this a renter.
Rating: 
Summary: If this is Mamet's best...
Review: ...then I'll pass on the rest. Seriously, The Spanish Prisoner represents a decent movie idea soured by numerous miscasts, spotty acting, and deadful dialogue. I really can't believe the praise it was given when it came out. I really had to wonder if this was the same movie that the critics saw. Steve Martin is quite good (a welcome change from his hammy, over-the-top comedy performances) and Campbell Scott could certainly hold his own, despite his character's too-flawless-to-be-believeable persona. Rebecca Pidgeon is terrible. Every time she appeared on screen, I just rolled my eyes, counting the seconds until she went away. The premise certainly is interesting. I like plot twists just as much as anyone else, but the end of the film does not fill in the holes like other thrillers do (think The Usual Suspects). The pacing is really uneven and at times you're convinced that Mamet was directing a play and not a movie. That can be blamed on Mamet's dumb dialogue. Rarely do I ever hear people speak the way they do in The Spanish Prisoner apart from other really bad dramas. The only suspension of disbelief is that you won't believe this came from such an experienced man. I'm serious, if this is David Mamet's best movie, I'm out.
Rating:
Summary: OFFBEAT AND CAPTIVATING, BUT SOME LOGIC MAY HAVE HELPED
Review: I can see why this very well made film ranks at roughly a 3 out of 5 on Amazon. It's very stylishly done, no doubt, and it will keep you on the edge of your sofa all the way through. But it also sports some yawning plot holes. The central premise hinges on an inventor keeping a SOLE copy of his proof-of-concept in his safe behind a picture, with no other copies, and still thinking that it's alright to carry this in his armpits to a public park. As though this were not enough, the FBI then finds exactly the same kind of a notebook to pull off a spoof. Finally, it's perhaps alright to drive a knife into someone without worrying about fingerprints. How's that for a plot hole. Fortunately, the screenplay, the music and the occasionally thrilling dialogue save the day. On balance, an entertaining flick. Besides, it's one of the few suspenseful movies with a PG rating, so the entire family could watch it too. Recommended rental.
Rating: 
Summary: Better than "House of Games", but lacking emotion.
Review: This is another Mamet con movie, and I would rate it four stars for the con and the intricacies of its design. Certainly, it is quite complicated and passes the threshold of believability. I would say however that there are one too many twists, and they keep on coming one after another, yet without any emotional grounding. The big hole at the center of the movie is the charcter of Susan Ricci, who is completely transparent, uninteresting, and poorly acted. I liked Campbell Scott. The acting and the actors are vastly superior to the teaming of Lindsay Crouse and Joe Mantegna in House of Games, which is an insufferable film, if for those two alone. This is a rare three-star review for me because I normally love or hate things. Mamet knows cons though and for this, Spanish Prisoner has to be appreciated.
Rating:
Summary: BRILLIANTLY SUBTLE SPOOF!!
Review: I think many people missed the point of this film. It isn't till the end (and after a second viewing) that you realize that, you, much like the main character, have been conned. You believe you are watching a serious mystery when in actuality, you are watching a very subtle and cleverly disguised spoof. The one dimensional acting, the outrageous twists, the "TV movie of the week" production, the times where you can see the actors smirking subtly after delivering a hammy line... and most notably, the last scene in the film when Susan is escorted into the police truck and gives the audience a glimpse of her breaking into laughter as she turns away to get into the van. Absolutely brilliant film making. So subtle, so clever. A real treat to watch.
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