The Spanish Prisoner: Excellent movie! (1 Viewer)

[Justin Doring]

It's nice to see this thread resurrected!

Tony, yes, Joe is a real "Boy Scout," which is why he was chosen.

Steve, House of Games was a great debut, but I think The Spanish Prisoner is Mamet's best film.

 

[Alex Spindler]

House of Games is good in an entirely different way. I think in a lot of ways The Spanish Prisoner is about the Con itself (much like Heist is primarily about the job) while House of Games is about the victim.

Both (really all three) are excellent, but I have a special place in my heart for The Spanish Prisoner. If you can roll with the manner of speech, the dialogue is absoutely perfect.

 

[Steve_Ch]

Saw HOG when it was first released, ditto with SP, but have yet to see Heist.

Specific memory of either HOG or SP is vague, but I do remember spotting plot holes while I was watching SP. Now, I do not mind plot holes per se, almost all movies have them, but it's not so good when I noticed them while I was watching the movie (rather than afterwards). Of course, moving watching is a highly personal experience.

 

[Alex Spindler]

Well, interest is piqued. Which plot holes?

 

[Justin Doring]

"House of Games is good in an entirely different way. I think in a lot of ways The Spanish Prisoner is about the Con itself (much like Heist is primarily about the job) while House of Games is about the victim."
Summed up excellently! I couldn't agree more!
Regarding the plot holes, let me just say that if you think the plot holes, manipulated props, tidiness, and inaccuracies are "oversights" on Mamet's part think again. The environment of The Spanish Prisoner is meticulously controlled by David Mamet, and that environment includes the the sets, the props, the dialog, and the characters. Even the subtlest detail is of the utmost importance.

 

[Steve_Ch]

I know somebody will ask "what holes?", unfortunately, I no longer have the DVD, and have no plan to go to BB or buy another one just to answer the question, sorry:frowning: . Let me just say that I am a big fan of Mamet, and by no means do I suggest SP is an inferior movie. I have seen more Mamet on stage (Oleana, etc) than on film, he is definitely one of the brilliant writers.

 

[Alex Spindler]

No prob, Steve.

*** Few spoilers ***

One thing that I usually see when people mention plotholes in con artist movies is that we only see one possible outcome. I always imagine that an alternative was planned. Much like in The Game when he mentions that "If you didn't jump I would've had to push you" and in Heist when he reacts to Betty the alcoholics absence. These movies could always have safety nets and Plan B's that you never see. Or you could be seeing the Plan B after the window for Plan A was missed. It's just that those are usually the plot holes that I see mentioned.

Watched it again last night due to this thread. Man does the dialogue crackle like rice crispies or what? Dog my cats indeed!

 

[Steve_Ch]

>>Man does the dialogue crackle like rice crispies or what? Dog my cats indeed!

 

[Frank@N]

I guess you could say I'm a fan of David Mamet, not by choice but more by realization:
http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0000519/
Look through his work and you're bound to find many great DVDs.
So when I found a used DVD of 'The Spanish Prisoner' for about $15 (about 2x what I prefer to pay for older titles), I bought it.
But after watching the movie, I find myself less than taken with it.
The performances seem stilted and stiff, as if we are watching a rehearsal tape.
More than a few times, the actors oddly repeat their lines twice as if trying to remember what comes next (not the case, I'm sure).
A murder gets thrown in later, which seems a bit desperate for a corporate espionage movie.
And the main character remains far too trusting, even after he should have learned that he can trust no one.
On the other hand, there are brilliant moments like the Swiss Bank Account sequence.
In general, I thought the Steve Martin character did a good job of walking the thin line between best friend and worst enemy.
The quick wrap-up ending is what really turned me off (it's almost Scooby-Doo in it's simplicity).
My suggestion: if you've been looking for this movie, don't look too hard or pay too much.

 

[Ted Lee]

david's strength has to be that nothing is what it seems. his dialog is always right on the money.
speaking of money, one of my all-time favorite lines from (i think) heist:
"everyone needs money. that's why they call it money."
i think he is one of my favorite writer/directors.