The Spanish Prisoner (1998)

trust no one

If you enjoy movies about bone-deep lies and deception, where you do not know until the very end what really happened (and even then you have some lingering doubts), then you will love this movie. The acting is top-notch and the writing terrific: every line of dialogue is significant, but, of course, you don't know why until much later.

If you liked The Manchurian Candidate (Special Edition), Nine Queens, The Usual Suspects (Special Editon) or Diabolique (Criterion Collection Spine #35), this one is for you. September 8, 2008

Just when you think you have it all figured out...

About a third of the way into "The Spanish Prisoner," I was beating my head on the sofa and my husband considered turning the movie off. But I am tenacious and wanted to hear it out.

I'm glad I did because there was a smart twist towards the end and you have to look beyond what is obviously going on to figure it out before it happens. October 13, 2007

you have to be ready

I wish people would leave Rebecca Pidgeon alone. The Spanish Prisoner was not a vehicle for her talent. Her acting is stylized and somewhat narrow, but she's the best there is at this kind of droll presence...the deadpan delivery, the silent intensity, the understated cleverness. You have to discover what she means... so if you are a viewer who looks at films more than once, who likes to return to characters of a decent plot to study sets, props, costumes (and what they reveal), then see her in Mamet's The Winslow Boy. Lucky lucky man to have her in that film. August 14, 2007

Huge disappointment

This film dealing with industrial espionage (the process involved is a McGuffin, since the movie never tells what is exactly about) starts well. However, as plot twist after plot twist accumulates, our interest wanes, and by the time the movie ends we just don't care anymore about what's going on. There is a final twist that is totally unbelievable since Steve Martin would have to anticipate the way that Campbell Scott would react to every situation. Finally, Campbell Scott and Rebecca Pidgeon might be the least charismatic screen couple ever. Their total lack of chemistry is the final nail on the coffin of this movie. May 13, 2007

Homage to Hitchcock

Plenty of other reviews have summarized the plot and voiced concerns about the acting so I won't add to that. The acting isn't perfect, there are some "loose ends" and the dialogue takes some getting used to. But it's a brilliant film in many ways and very entertaining.

This is a fascinating film, despite its flaws. It's a must-see for Hitchcock fans (just like "Dead Again" with Kenneth Branaugh) for all the wonderful Hitchcockian touches Mamet inserts. The music, the camera work, all resemble Hitchcock's style. Hitchcock liked to include what he called "refrigerator scenes"-- that is, scenes that can't be easily explained. He said that people would go home and stand around the fridge talking about them and trying to figure them out. (The most famous is in "Vertigo" when the Kim Novak character is seen in a window but when the apartment is searched, it's empty and no explanation is offered.) Several scenes in this film qualify for that- how does the certificate transform? How did they pull off the restaurant/club thing? Also, Hitchcock was famous for his "MacGuffins"-- items which moved the plot along but really were nothing. (Again, a famous one would be the money that's stolen in "Psycho"- by the end of the movie no one cares about the money.) The "formula" appears to be a MacGuffin-- just something to get the story going- it really doesn't matter whether the formula exists, is a fake, or whatever. The discussion about the plane in the islands is another MacGuffin.

So why is it no longer available on DVD? C'mon Sony-- release it again please. May 12, 2007

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