Review of The Spanish Prisoner (1997) by Jeff H — 14 May 2008
It's a fun Hitchcockian thriller for the most part but it completely falls apart at the end (you have reason to suspect everyone because, as it turns out, EVERYONE is in on it! I think that's is a bit of a copout.
The Fincher film the previous year, The Game, did a similar thing but handled it much better. Kind of appropriate comparison now that I think of it - both film's feature a breaking puzzle motif on their posters) The moment when this movie turned me off was when Ben Gazzara was in the airport and the woman's child drops their book - "You dropped your book! You dropped and tore your book! You dropped and tore your book and got fingerprints all over it!" She might as well have turned to the camera and addressed the audience.
How insulting. Come on Mamet, you can do better than that! For what it's worth, Steve Martin is great though.
This review of The Spanish Prisoner (1997) was written by Jeff H on 14 May 2008.
The Spanish Prisoner has generally received positive reviews.
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