: Spy Games
Director: Tony Scott
I don’t know where this film came from: I just saw at the DVD stores. I never heard of it in the theatres. I can’t figure out why. It’s got a great cast, good story, and a good director. I watched it with trepidation, figuring its direct-to-video status might portend bad things. But it turns out to be an excellent film. It’s a bit overcomplicated and overdrawn, and too many flashbacks are always irritating, but when everything’s wrapped up, it’s a great story. The plot centers around two spies, Robert Redford and Brad Pitt. Redford’s retiring: today’s his last day. But he arrives at the CIA to learn that Pitt’s been captured by the Chinese and will be executed in 24 hours. The CIA, however, will not acknowledge his existence and plan to let him die. Redford’s character has to figure out a way to save Pitt without his bosses knowing. It seems impossible but Redford is very cool and does it right under the noses of the higher ups. That’s the basic plot. There’s much more in terms of character, when we learn that Redford recruited Pitt, that Pitt loved a woman, that Redford gave that woman to the Chinese (she was a wanted criminal) and Pitt had gone in to rescue her and got himself captured. But all that is icing on the cake. The fun is in learning how the CIA operates, and this isn’t James Bond type stuff but real spy stuff. Impressive. More of a thinker than an action film, though there is some action (in flashbacks).
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