The Spanish Prisoner [DVD] [1998]

Devious manipulators conspire to make Ross even more uncertain about Klein's loyalty, hoping they can steal the formula and sell it to European or Japanese competitors. Front and center in the plot is Jimmy Dell (smarmily played by Steve Martin), who masquerades as a very wealthy high flyer, appealing to Ross's desire to get what he deserves and fears he won't get from Mr. Klein. Appealing to Ross's natural paranoia, Dell soon has him doing exactly what he wants, as Ross tries to "protect" himself from Klein.

This intricately plotted conspiracy keeps the viewer on the edge of the chair, trying to figure out what is going on. As Ross begins to discover Dell's lies, the film offers one surprise after another, and these surprises keep coming right up to the blockbuster ending. Viewers will be fascinated to look back to see how the conspiracy and the plotting have set them up for the surprises. The music introducing the film is appropriately romantic, mysterious, and ominous, and repeats throughout for emphasis. The cinematography (Gabriel Beristain), even for somewhat trite scenes, is effective and adds to the suspense.

Unfortunately, the dialogue is filled with clichés and wooden remarks, a surprise considering Mamet's stage background. Unrealistic and ponderous remarks abound, always followed by a trenchant pause. Dell, remarking to Ross about his sister, says, "All we ever had was each other (pause)." A policeman tells Ross, "You'll be back (pause)." Another says, "Always do business as if the person you're doing business with is [betraying] you (pause)." The acting is generally good, and Ed O'Neil has a nice cameo as an FBI investigator. Rebecca Pidgeon, Mamet's wife, plays Susan Ricci, a role which is not clearly developed or integrated and for which she seems a bit too mature. Despite the clumsy dialogue, this is an exciting film, great fun to watch for its unexpected twists and turns. Mary Whipple

Most of us are familiar with this con from our e-mail where it typically takes the form of an African or the Middle Eastern princess seeking help from us to escape from a corrupt society or an oppressive husband. We are advised that she has many millions of dollars but can't get them out of the country without our help in the form of a few thousand bucks for various fees, etc. If we send the money we are assured that we will get a significant percentage of the millions.

Here the come-on includes a dark-haired beauty we see only in passing and in photos. Playing her foil is Rebecca Pidgeon (Mamet's talented wife) as Susan Ricci, a somewhat ditzy secretary for Joe's company. At the beginning everything is opaque and intriguing. It's not clear who is who, and who can be trusted and who can't. Indeed if this movie had a theme it would be "you can't trust anybody." The real worry, however, seems to be whether Joe will get paid for his work. Mr. Klein (Ben Gazzara) keeps putting him off. And so it appears that we may be viewing another business and relationships satire for which Mamet is justly famous (e.g., Glengarry Glen Ross 1992), but after a bit we begin to see the sinister plot unfold.

The acting is good and Mamet sets up his plot twists with precision--although the resolutions of some of the twists are a bit strained; in fact, probability and logic, in keeping with the time-honored tenets of the genre, are sometimes just plain ignored. But what carries this unusual thriller is an underlying tone of irony. Steve Martin is perfectly cast because underneath his sly exterior there seems lurking a guy about to bust out laughing; and indeed the entire edifice is a crafty but covert spoof of Hollywood thrillers. It's almost as though Mamet set out to write and direct a standard thriller but just couldn't help himself. On the other hand he may have had the understated parody in mind all the way, but just didn't want to tell anybody! Certainly Steve Martin was not fooled, but I do wonder about Campbell Scott who played his part with such single-minded intensity.

Anyway, there's a lot of clever dialogue, some of it cribbed ("Beware of enterprises requiring new clothes" is from Thoreau), and some interesting stage business (the tickets, the tennis book, the red-bound book, the camera/gun, the club certificate/request for passage to Venezuela, etc.). And trying to figure out who is up to what will keep you awake. But see this for Rebecca Pidgeon who, in her way, is as original as Mamet. Although her role here is not strictly comedic she reminds me a little of the Japanese comedic actress, Nobuko Miyamoto, widow of director Juzo Itami. She also reminds me of somebody who should be playing Saturday Night Live. Maybe she has.