Reprinted from http://www.bell.ca/toronto/filmfest/conf/sp.htm.
The Spanish Prisoner is an ancient confidence game and the basis for David Mamet's new film of the same name. Both he and star Rebecca Pidgeon, as well as the producer Jean Doumanian attended the press conference yesterday morning.
There are many similarities between this film and some of Hitchcock's work, most of which were accidental according to writer/director Mamet.
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| David Mamet |
David Mamet: It is a light movie. I am very flattered that you compare it to Hitchcock, but that's because he created the genre of the light thriller, and I think that this movie is absolutely a part of that genre... I set out to make a light thriller and I realized if I was going to do that I would have to look at the Master (Hitchcock).
On the somewhat curious choice of casting Steve Martin as the villain:
David Mamet: He is a great, great actor, and in real life he has a great nobility about him, he is a very gentle man, and I thought this would be a great villain, a villain who you would believe could be the one of the richest men in the world.
Rebecca Pidgeon: He reminded me of the very suave, talented beautiful actors he was wonderful to work with and also very enigmatic, we worked well together.
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| Rebecca Pidgeon |
Rebecca Pidgeon also commented on working with her husband David Mamet: It was much easier because he is such a very very clear and specific director and he is so very respectful and professional, it has always been nothing but a joy. It's also very welcome because many directors aren't specific, and you have to interpret things like 'pretend you are a scared bird in a cage' so yes it was a great pleasure.
On getting the film produced:
Producer: If you are a producer you get a lot of screenplays that come across your desk and its very rare that you see one as good as David's. I liked the movie. When you work with someone like David or Woody (Allen) the best thing to do is to leave them alone. You raise the money, wish them the best of luck and then view the movie when it is delivered. When someone like David asks for your opinion, you give it to them and then they do whatever they want.
David Mamet: The old joke has it that the perfect date is one who makes love until 2:00am and then turns into a pizza. The perfect producer is one who gives you the money and says 'see you at the opening,' and that is exactly what happened here.
David Mamet on making a thriller with so little violence: I have always felt that in the motion picture business the real violence is not what people do to each other on the screen, but what we have to do to get the money.
