THE SPANISH PRISONER

A decade after he marked a superb screen debut with the film “House of Games, ” playwright David Mamet revisits the same labyrithine territory, for even more mysterious and tantalizing rounds of treachery and illusion. A corporate employee named Joe Ross (Campbell Scott) has just developed an unspecified but vital 'process' with the potential to make him a millionaire, at least. But doubts chip away at Joe, who feels underappreciated by his company and wants to be certain his rightful profits won't be stolen. Joe meets Jimmy (Steve Martin), a flamboyant stranger who feeds Joe's suspicions and offers to help gain the executive his fair share. But what's Jimmy's angle – really? What about Joe's secretary, who claims to love him? His increasingly contentious boss? Or the alleged FBI agent? Someone is playing somebody for a chump here, and smart money says trust no one and expect the unexpected. “The Spanish Prisoner” is the name given one of the oldest and most confounding tricks in the repertoire, and THE SPANISH PRISONER is the latest breathtaking conundrum wherein Mamet dissects the artistry in con-artistry. Trust us.