Spy Game
Review
by : Gareth Von Kallenbach
Starring:
Brad Pitt (Tom Bishop), Robert Redford (Nathan
Muir), Katherine McCormack (Elizabeth)
Directed by: Tony Scott
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The secret world of espionage has long been romanticized in
film and print. The dashing deeds of such agents as James
Bond, The Saint, and even Austin Powers have delighted readers
and moviegoers the world over for decades. Images of exotic
locales, deadly super villains, gorgeous women, and danger
around every corner are how the public opinion of agents has
been shaped thanks to numerous works of popular entertainment.
In reality,
the world of espionage is often far less glamorous, and at
times a thankless profession that is conducted by a special
breed of person. In the film "Spy Game" director Tony Scott
gives us a look inside the secretive and dangerous world of
the CIA and in the process creates an entertaining and well-crafted
tale.
The film
opens with a covert operation gone wrong in a Chinese prison
in 1991. In the aftermath an agent named Tom Bishop (Brad
Pitt), has been captured and sentenced to be executed the
following morning. Complicating matters is that the U.S. and
China are a week away from a Presidential visit to China that
will pave the way for increased trade between the two nations.
Shortly
after Bishop is captured, a phone call is made to agent Nathan
Muir (Robert Redford) to inform him of Bishop's plight. It
is bad timing for Muir as he is about to spend his last day
at the CIA before retiring to his dream house in the Bahamas.
Undaunted by the unexpected news, Nathan is soon trying to
learn all he can about the situation and is dismayed at being
left out of the loop by his superiors and co workers. Nathan
however has more than one trick left and this is what provides
the tension and drama for the film. It is revealed that Nathan
was the agent that recruited and trained Bishop starting in
Vietnam in 1975. Since Nathan has a solid understanding of
Tom, Nathan is able to get in on the task force by withholding
information saying that there are few documents as he kept
the related information in his head. Before long, Nathan starts
to see that there is far more to the story than he is being
told, and that his former partner is being set aside in the
interest of a much larger picture, and for matters that few
in the agency are willing to discuss.
Nathan
sets out to use all the tricks of his trade to learn the truth
about Tom, what the agency is not willing to tell him, and
most importantly, save Tom before time runs out. Redford does
a fantastic job in the film as his sly smile shows how is
he always thinking a few steps ahead of his opponents and
that he is manipulating the game according to his plan like
a chess master toying with a novice. The majority of Pitt's
role is shown through a series of flashbacks as Nathan recounts
various operations the two worked on ranging from Vietnam,
East Germany and Beirut amongst countless others. It is through
the flashbacks that the audience learns of Bishops transformation
from soldier, to spy and the changes that happen to him as
a result of his work experiences as well as his relationship
with Nathan. While Bishop does not like not always being informed,
and the cold and often brutal nature of the business, he respects
Nathan and is very loyal to him not only for his expert training,
but also for his friendship and commitment. In many ways it
is a father-son relationship, as Nathan seems to be grooming
Tom in his own image to be his successor.
Division
comes between the two men in the form of a medic named Elizabeth
(Katherine McCormack), that Tom has become involved with during
an operation in Beirut. Nathan sees her as an asset to be
used and discarded, and a potential threat to the mission.
Tom believes that Nathan has no place in his personal life
and that he is capable of doing his job and can take care
of himself. It is this division that comes into play, as Nathan
has not seen Tom in many years at the time of the films opening.
What follows
is an interesting mix of suspense, drama, and action as past
missions are recounted and Nathan is racing against the clock
for one final mission. The film also gives a solid look at
the lives of the operatives as Nathan is a man who believes
that many of the people they deal with are assets to be used
and if necessary discarded in order to survive and accomplish
the mission. At one point in the film, Nathan tells Tom "if
it ever comes down between you and an asset, send flowers".
Like a game of chess, people are to be pawn in the larger
game and they are to be manipulated and sacrificed for the
good of the overall goal. For years Nathan has believed and
practiced this rule, and now he is faced with the end of his
espionage career and he is having a hard time letting some
things go.
The film
is first rate and moves along at a solid pace. The cast is
solid and Redford once again shows why he is a modern master
of his profession. Pitt gives a strong performance and shows
Tom as an individual with passion, devotion, and loyalty.
"Spy Game" is a strong, well-acted film that not only entertains,
but also makes you think about those individuals who makes
sacrifices daily in order to protect our nation and in these
difficult times, the message is even stronger.
Gareth
Von Kallenbach
Gareth@nwlink.com
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