Whats the Big Idea? Two thoughts entered my mind. It doesnt work on saints. (Sony Pictures Classics) Director: David Mamet [15], Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Motion Picture Screenplay, Independent Spirit Award for Best Screenplay, "The Spanish Prisoner (1998) - Financial Information", "Writer-to-Writer: A Conversation With David Mamet", "The meticulously constructed film work of David Mamet", "Mamet-speak: Eggs, Coffee, The Talking Walrus", "Mamet's Hero-Victim: A Prisoner of Words", True and False: Heresy and Common Sense for the Actor, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Spanish_Prisoner&oldid=1132703984, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Takeo Matsushita as United States Marshal, This page was last edited on 10 January 2023, at 04:14. Jimmy convinces Joe to use his legal counsel and bring the only copy of the process to their meeting. A year from now, the narrative story arc regarding criminal activity through cash transaction networks AND censorship-resistant transaction networks like Bitcoin will be louder, not softer. Can he trust his girl? Inertia is difficult to overcome. "Ricky Spanish" is the seventeenth episode of the eighth season of the animated comedy series American Dad!. By Arturo Prez-Reverte. Mamet reveals a lot of the trickery, in fact. It will literally kill you.. Its an interesting setup, Mr. Ross. Mamet is even easier to recognize. You will not be able to imagine a world where a censorship-embracing coin is not everywhere. But is there a con? If you become conscious enough, you will find it difficult to walk. If colonial money/Libra is over-printed, holders will panic and rush into Western currencies, and blame will go solely to the issuers of the funny money, helping the narrative that Western currencies are best. However, the twins had the map for years and failed to notice or care that a man named Peter Pettigrew slept in bed with their brother Ron every night. "The Spanish Prisoner'' is delightful in the way a great card manipulator is delightful. It always is. David Mamet is famous for his dialogues, which are characterized by incomplete sentences, foul language, stutters, and interruptions; it is known as "Mamet-speak". However, the executives at the company seem reluctant to commit to bonuses or royalties for Ross, so he starts looking at his options. They can range from contradictions and illogical events to unresolved plotlines and continuity errors. In its original form, the confidence trickster tells his victim (the mark) that he is (or is in correspondence with) a wealthy person of high estate who has been imprisoned in Spain under a false identity. An inventor of a secret process suddenly finds himself alone as both his friends and the corporation he works for turn against him. The police also show Joe that Jimmy's apartment and the club dining area were not real, but instead were just a normal room and a coat check room for a restaurant, respectively. The Spanish Prisoner is a 1997 American neo-noir suspense film, written and directed by David Mamet and starring Campbell Scott, Steve Martin, Rebecca Pidgeon, Ben Gazzara, Felicity Huffman and Ricky Jay. People need to be co-opted into new payment systems. Very much. After the mark has turned over the funds, he is informed further difficulties have arisen, and more money is needed. Mean Girls (2004) On Wednesdays, we poke plot holes in popular film comedies. The most famous of all revenge tragedies is Shakespeare's Hamlet, and some of the plot devices in The Spanish Tragedy, such as the protagonist's hesitation in carrying out his revenge, are echoed in Shakespeare's play. Joe is dictating to the office secretary a card to send to a woman, but Susan (Rebecca Pidgeon) is in earshot. When the rendezvous in Central Park is set up, Scott is told to go to the Navy Fountain. This episode was written by Erik Sommers and directed by Shawn . The most successful con operators are the Nudging State and the Nudging Oligarchy. The defining characteristic of the Spanish Prisoner con is that the mark believes he is doing well while doing good. At the airport, Susan gives him a camera bag, which actually contains a gun, and an airplane ticket supposedly to the island retreat, but actually to Venezuela. In fact, Libra has been designed to avoid threatening Bitcoin. Jimmy suggests that Joe's boss, Mr. Klein, might not give him fair compensation for his work. The view on the hotel's security monitor pans a bit to follow the movement of someone on the boat dock, which a fixed security camera cannot do. To say that much about this classic from writer-director David Mamet is to state what most viewers will absorb in the first 20 minutes. We will be shunned. It is the oldest confidence game on the books. The police show Joe that Jimmy's apartment is a faade, and that the club's members-only room was a normal restaurant. But at this point the plot summary must end, before the surprises begin. So the other countries with guns can see the Spanish Psisoner Con as clear as Ben does since that is what they do EVERY day. This is just an extreme case showing money and politics are inseparable in an era (including the present day) of low public awareness of the nature of money. Joe's. Trust me when I say that I know of which I speak. $23.95. He wants a bonus for this work, but fears his boss will stiff him. Mamet exerts such exquisite control over the proceedings that you are forced to watch helplessly as Joe digs himself deeper and deeper into a hole that's eventually big enough to bury him. Seven or eight years ago, I was on a commuter flight, sitting in an aisle seat. [3][4], "AN OLD SWINDLE REVIVED. At the airport in Boston, Susan gives Joe a plane ticket, and a camera bag, which unbeknownst to him contains a gun. Jimmy Dell is the con man in the 1997 David Mamet movie, played by Steve Martin in his finest dramatic role. Joe Ross has developed a process that will make his company a fortune. Its too useful as a societal steam valve, now that weve got Libra and (soon) other Oligarchy-sponsored and State-supported cryptos in circulation. As wise as serpents, as harmless as doves is spot on. YKY: The Spanish Prisoner (Review) - YouTube WE DISCUSS DAVID MAMET'S THE SPANISH PRISONER WITH OUR RETURNING GUEST WOJO. Life, especially the life of someone worth conning, doesnt give a person much time to figure out if and how theyre being conned. Man, did I just look in the mirror. The title refers to a classic con game. Sure, youll have the occasional show trial of egregiously aggressive security frauds and Crypto-Funded Criminals , but the run of the mill hucksters and con men will walk with impunity. Its purpose (even if the Western elites merely discovered its usefulness,) will be to strengthen Western money from the inside out by playing the role of gold, say, in the early to mid-19th century. Then the police show it what is supposed to be the same document the text is different, and in Spanish. In fact, the most effective MacGuffins are rarely simple signifiers of wealth like an rich Spanish dude. And meditate or something to stay calm. But its probably time to get comfortable with it. Used to work for Bear? If that is NOT on the menu, then I trust guns. Consult your investment advisor before making any investment decisions. Youll receive an email every week and your information will never be shared with anyone else. The core of this note is a quote by Bob Prince, Bridgewaters co-CIO and an actual prince of a guy. It depicts an intriguing mystery that keeps the audience guessing the whole time it unravels in front of the camera. Think, for example, of the average Western citizen during the heyday of 20th-century empire. No, the most compelling Spanish Prisoners are Big Ideas like social justice or making America great again or resisting the Man. I wrote this note six years ago. In other words, for Libra to do what it wants internationally, it depends on the guns, NOT cons. Hes the guy running the con. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. That could destroy the entire crypto-space. Bitcoin is our sword. Before entering the club dinner, Jimmy has Joe sign a certificate to join the club. Is there a way out of this for Bitcoin? Yes, you have to wonder if the Chinese actually provided the inspiration for Libra! It doesnt work on people who forgive and forget, who turn the other cheek and have an unending reservoir of faith in their fellow humans. Taking him to dinner at a club requiring membership, Jimmy has Joe sign a certificate to join. They reveal that they have been following Jimmy for months, and that Mr. Klein plotted the con to keep all the profits for himself. BobK71 given your thoughts on the Western currency basket - it will be interesting to see what the Chinese response through WeChat and AliPay will be. Resisting by holding a bit coin is easy. They are, in fact, US Marshals who have been monitoring Jimmy's con since the beginning. What bothers me is mindless aping to comply what the rest of the herd doesor in fear of societys equivalent of the Stasi (which weve created for ourselves: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stasi Yay, not so secret policing of ourselves! The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user. There is no evidence of Joe using anything but his naked eye to discover this, yet a human eye is incapable of clearly magnifying an image so much (over 15x). The plot is a bit too convoluted for young children, but teens and adults will certainly enjoy it. The mark believes that he is doing the right thing, that hes the good guy in this story. The Japanese Girl, another police officer, shoots a tranquilizer on him. 7.39K. The trickster will typically claim to have chosen the mark carefully, based on his reputation for honesty and straight dealing, and may appear to structure the deal so that the trickster's ultimate share of the reward will be distributed voluntarily by the mark. "The Dark Knight" (2008)/Warner Bros. Pictures (via IMDB) There are undoubtedly plot holes and the whole thing is an exercise in style over substance. Key features of the Spanish Prisoner trick are the emphasis on secrecy and the trust the trickster apparently places in the mark not to reveal the prisoner's identity or situation. Pause. In 1999 it was nominated by the Mystery Writers of America for the Edgar Award for Best Motion Picture . Obviously these two were from a very different background than me, but I really appreciated the public display of commitment they had made by getting these tattoos. When Jimmy never shows up for the meeting, Joe realizes McCune is actually part of Jimmy's con game, and that his Process has been stolen. He got out, girl and the money stuck in Spain. [10], Reviewer Paul Tatara, on the other hand, criticized the film for using well-worn plot mechanisms, "stiff characterizations and ridiculous line readings". Joe Ross (Campbell Scott) is a corporate engineer who has recently invented a very lucrative industrial process that has not yet been patented. Another Big (coyote) Idea behind Libra is that it could and probably will be used to virtue signal - Golly. The con here is to gain your trust again so that you willingly hand over your autonomy of mind. A plot hole is a gap or inconsistency in storytelling that goes against the logic established in the story. Will Bitcoin itself be outlawed? Who really wants to accomplish something of meaning in the world. It will also make whoever has it a fortune, so the details are kept secret and secure. David Mamet The Spanish Prisoner (1997). Now Playing: The Spanish Prisoner Movie Details & Credits Sony Pictures Classics | Release Date: April 3, 1998 | PG Starring: Ben Gazzara, Steve Martin Summary: This film centers on an elaborate confidence game, and its labyrinthine plot is laden with twists and reversals. Susan asks Joe to do a good action to her, because he was a boy scout (this indicates that maybe she stole his boy scout knife and killed the other guy). Any action that you take as a result of information contained in this document is ultimately your responsibility. Who needs negative interest rates when everybody gets a 10%-50% haircut? MichaelI saw a piece on Castros Presidio on TVwhat you describe: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presidio_Modelo. 75. But Bitcoin is going to be permanently diminished in its social importance by the adoption of Libra and other Oligarchy-sponsored and State-embracing crypto currencies. Screenplay: David Mamet. And if the liberated Prisoner is financially grateful, or if the Prisoners sister is grateful in her own way if you know what I mean and I think you do well, that seems only fair, right? I know what Mark and Sheryl and all the other Davos-going Team Elite sociopaths are about. As you know, the passage is about how the disciples will be persecuted and ostracized as they go out into the world, and are met with hostility and derision and alienation. [3][4][5][6][7], Here, Roger Ebert observes, "His characters often speak as if they're wary of the world, afraid of being misquoted, reluctant to say what's on their minds: As a protective shield, they fall into precise legalisms, invoking old sayings as if they're magic charms. 2: A determined group of con artists could frame anyone for anything, using the justice system as its unknowing pawn. Prison plot hole. For sure, this has nothing to do with Bitcoin. Immediately after the business meeting at the start of the movie, as Joe and Mr Klein are walking along the beach, the furry cover on a boom mic can be seen dipping into view several times from overhead (TV version). A faade, and in Spanish a club requiring membership, Jimmy has Joe a! Unravels in front of the process to their meeting has Joe sign a certificate to join works for against. Legal counsel and bring the only copy of the trickery, in fact, the compelling. 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