Review of The Spanish Prisoner (1997) by Annetta K — 15 Sep 2014

Posted on 5/15/06 03:28 PM.

[color=lemonchiffon]Saw dese late April on DVD ...[/color].

[color=orange][b]The Spanish Prisoner, 1997, Writer/Director David Mamet[/b][/color].

[color=orange][b](with Steve Martin, Rebecca Pidgeon, Campbell Scott)[/b][/color].

Wasn't sure that I had seen any of David Mamet's films previously so did some IMDB research and found that he also did [color=magenta]State and Main (2000)[/color] and [color=magenta]The Winslow Boy (1999[/color]). He's also done [color=magenta]Glengarry Glen Ross, Ronin and Wag the Dog[/color] (haven't seen these and don't think I wanna) plus many other widely seen films. I've tried watching State and Main and Glengarry Glen Ross and I know at their release there was much ado and ra ra about them but for some reason I can't engage myself enough to watch em right through. Now this for me is most odd - I can honestly say that I have never ever walked out of a film at the theatre and usually if I sit down to watch a film 9of my choosing) I'm completely absorbed from start to finish. Can't quite put my finger on what it is about these two films ... However, I did quite like The Winslow Boy & Nigel Hawthorne is quite watchable to me, maybe that's why I liked it? I can't really recall - it must have been a good nuff film.

I quite liked the pace of The Spanish Prisoner and the mind games / whodunnit quality, good finale too. I wanted to wack Campbell Scott upside the head a couple of times cos of his gullibility - no you dumbass don't take the red book with you! Prime target! The Winslow Boy featured the intriguing Rebecca Pidgeon who is also in The Spanish Prisoner - not the typical female character at all ... she'd make a good poker player methinks! There's also a minor part in the film played by Felicity Huffman. Steve Martin was suitably menacing in a subtle way.