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Robert Redford (left) and Brad Pitt are CIA agents in Spy Game.
2001 has proven to be, from television to the movies, the year of the spies. And while some of the trips into espionage have not been handled correctly — CBS’ “The Agency” — others have gone much better — Spy Game.
One of my favorite movies has always been Three Days of the Condor, easily one of Redford’s finest films. With Spy Game, he returns to the silver screen with gusto, in a smart, stylish film that works.
Okay, there are a few elements in the film that are relatively predictable. However, there are a few surprises here and there, and the smart game that Redford plays against his CIA bosses is so well done you can easily overlook the more obvious elements of the story.
Spy Game begins with the capture of CIA operative Tom Bishop (Brad Pitt) in China. This causes problems for the United States, as it is negotiating with China regarding trade agreements.
Nathan Muir (Redford) learns of the capture and is questioned about how he met Bishop, and some of the missions they carried out in the past.
Muir eventually realizes that the Agency may leave Bishop in the lurch. So he must find a way to save his former partner, trainee and friend.
This film was very smart, and that’s the highest compliment I can give it. Well directed, well acted, well told. I thoroughly enjoyed it, without finding much fault in its execution.
Spy Game serves as a look into the world of espionage, the good and the bad. The majority of the story takes place, as I remember, in 1991. There are several flashbacks, which is where the relationship between Bishop and Muir are established.
The first goes back to Vietnam, where Muir discovers Bishop, then to Europe during the Cold War, with the last being in the Middle East. It portrays the business of spy work in a realistic way: It is a deceptive, dangerous job that is neither good, nor bad, but simply what is in the best interests of the country. It’s a grey zone, where sometimes you must sacrifice one person to save another.
Most spy movies, such as the James Bond films, wallow in the concept of good and evil, black and white. However, that isn’t reality. Spy Game shows you what is really means to be an agent in service to your country — and it ain’t that glamorous.
As an actor, Redford has few equals. He delivers in this picture, offering a character who is neither evil nor good, but someone who operates in what is in the best interests of the United States. Cold and uncaring at times, loyal and honest other, he attaches himself to no one except his secretary.
Pitt, seen primarily through the many flashback sequences in the film, is basically everything Redford is not. Although capable with the ability to be ruthless, Bishop can love and connect with people. Yet, it is his sympathy for others that leads to his being captured. Performance wise, Pitt has very few opportunities to offer anything different than what you’ve seen in any of his other films.
I’ve never had a terribly high opinion of Pitt. Although he has played some varied characters — Fight Club and 12 Monkeys — his mannerisms and style remains consistent. When he plays an “average” person, he is calm and reserved, with very little in the way of tone and gestures. Yet, when he plays some of his more “unique” characters, he uses the same speaking pattern and erratic hand gestures.
Tony Scott has managed to create a film style that closely matches that of his brother, Ridley. Not the way he tells stories, but in the visuals. I’ve always felt as if he was trying to emulate Ridley and has never really established himself apart from his brother. However, Ridley’s films tend to be more epic, while Tony’s are more personal, featuring character dynamics between two main characters who are at odds. Scott’s also feature much more in the way of twists and turns.
If the box office is any indication, this film apparently didn’t pull in the numbers they probably expected, however, that has nothing to do with the quality.
Spy Game was a top notch thriller, and I highly recommend it.
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