The Spanish Prisoner

Like his critically-acclaimed 1987 feature House of Games, David Mamet's The Spanish Prisoner is a meticulously crafted intellectual puzzle which could stand just a bit more soul. Campbell Scott stars as a young corporate underling who gets in over his head with a smooth operator (Steve Martin) who promises him big bucks to turn over a "process" he has invented. The plot then veers into familiar Mamet territory, featuring breakdowns in trust and deceptive appearances. It also features crisp pacing, an insinuating Carter Burwell score, and a story which -- in an era where most films appear to have been re-written by a room full of chimps -- offers smart and surprising entertainment that treats an audience with respect. It just shouldn't be so difficult to find a sympathetic protagonist to guide a story like this. Campbell Scott is a versatile performer with the perfect look of naiveté to play the dupe; he also reads virtually every line of Mamet's script with a deadening flatness. That goes ditto and double for Rebecca Pidgeon, whose turn as Scott's affectionate confidante falls apart with every forced line. Only the brilliantly sinister Martin, taking a rare detour into screen villainy, seems to have a grasp of Mamet's style. Even with its lack of a vibrant hero, The Spanish Prisoner is too well-constructed to warrant more than a slap on the wrist. If Mamet could only make his films as emotionally compelling as they are intellectually satisfying -- houses of games with hearts to match their brains -- he could be one of our finest filmmakers. Recommended. (S. Renshaw)