MovieChat Forums > The Spanish Prisoner (1998) Discussion > Poorly Motivated

Poorly Motivated

posted 15 years ago by qofreason
4 replies | jump to latest

Things happen because the script seems to require they happen.

The main character, Joe, never browses the Red Book while waiting for Jimmy (Steve Martin). Not once the whole time does he crack it open (even though in the opening scenes we see him furiously writing while on a work-vacation). Later he's got a ticket to Venezuela, and never once bothers to look at it. He has a cloth bag that is supposed to contain a camera; instead it has a handgun. He does not notice the difference. His lawyer friend (Ricky Jay) is murdered(?) and he immediately pats down the blood stain, leaves his glasses behind and and touches the murder weapon. In line at the airport a woman happens to lecture her kid over and over and OVER again about the book (people should have already made the book connection, but still, if you want to have this coincidence you don't need to beat our heads with it). He calls the FBI number on the card (she knew he'd take it).

Now some people will argue that it's plausible a person may never flip through a book containing the process or (especially plausible) bother to check a plane ticket. The problem is that no rational person could reliably pin their entire con a person behaving exactly as Joe does, which is why he's not a real character. Jimmy has decided he's going to kill Joe, but the protagonist needs to learn he's mic-ed and Fed. Marshals are on board. So what happens? He just wanders to the back, right where we see a Fed. who explains the whole thing to him. Everything happens because the script requires it to happen.

[–] kausix777 11 years ago

Agreed largely except he didn't need to browse the book before it was switched. Why would even a smart guy browse a book that had his own invented formulae?

[–] BKinzeys 10 years ago

Another thing is the pristine pages of the new book. Certainly writing on the pages, opening and closing the book, flipping through the pages, would have changed how the pages laid in the book. Look at a diary and how they look different once they have been used for awhile.

[–] Bob_Brooker 10 years ago

Let me add more stuff that could easily have brought this charade down at different times during the con:

- Joe could have delivered the book personally to Emma and find out she was somebody else. Especially since the note said she should take a look at him. How would Jimmy explain that away and regain Joe's trust which was needed for the con to continue?
- It was highly unlikely that Joe would have brought the real book to the appointment. After all, his career depended on it being save.
- What if Joe had actually taken a glance at the club membership document and realized it was talking about something else?

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Last movie watched: Ashes and Snow (2005) (9/10)

[–] The_TJT 9 years ago

Valid points and indeed the story was implausible and full of plotholes. Although the notebook switch might have been done by the rollerblader who bumped into protagonist in a tunnel carrying the notebook, in theory.

Also the club membership card did read club membership when the protagonist signed it. Not sure again when and how it was switched. Still the point about him not reading it later on stands. A definite plothole.

Also the tranquilizer dart scene was far fetched as was the assumption that police had followed him all the way through, knew exactly what had happened, and were already in the ferry waiting with tranquilizer darts etc. Yet the police didn't see it relevant to tell him so during the interrogation... that he was basically let go as a bait.

Also one coincidence more was the protagonist giving plane tickets to Venezuela (apparently by accident) to man on the ferry. He really didn't pay much attention to tickets did he...