Spanish Prisoner

I know many people like this one, but for me it's Mamet's weakest thriller. For the con to work the protagonist is required to act like a complete idiot, since Steve Martin's character is so obviously up to no good, that you would have to be blind and deaf not to notice, that the man is a con-artist. It doesn't help that Martin delivers what must be his most wooden and mannered performance. So, when the surprising twist comes, it not much of a twist at all, in fact I could predict each plot development in advance. I could've accepted the ludicrous story, but it's all so contrived and dull, that after a while I couldn't wait for it to end.

Mamet has done this sort of Hitchcockian thriller better in House of Games, but I would also rate his other genre movies Heist, Redbelt and even Spartan higher than this one.