Spy Game (2001)

A thinking person's thriller, Spy Game employs dense plotting without sacrificing the kinetic momentum that is director Tony Scott's trademark. The film has the byzantine scope of a novel, focusing on veteran CIA operative Nathan Muir (Robert Redford), whose protégé Tom Bishop (Brad Pitt) is scheduled for execution in a Chinese prison. It's Muir's last day before retiring (cliché alert!), and Bishop is being deliberately sacrificed by oily CIA officials to ensure healthy trade with China. Muir has 24 hours to rescue Bishop and his perfunctory love interest (Catherine McCormack), and Spy Game connects the mentor's end-run strategy to flashbacks of his student's exploits in Berlin, Beirut, and beyond. Ambitious but emotionally bland--and not as exciting as Scott's Enemy of the State--Spy Game offers pass-the-torch humor between leather-faced Redford and pretty boy Pitt, and although their dialogue is occasionally limp, the movie compensates with efficient style and substance. --Jeff Shannon Amazon.com

Great Movies

This is a great spy film with Robert Redford and Brad Pitt. You must watch every scene very closely because there is so much going on that you don't realize what's happening. Every time I watch the DVD I see something I didn't pick up on before. Excellent movie. July 11, 2008

Intelligence Case Officer Training - Key Lesson

This film has excellent examples of the psychological dimensions of clandestine case officers. I particular like the training sequences. The focus on people skills, psychology, etc. I believe a British spy television program revealed that the one training exercise in which Brad Pitt (the trainee) has to get invited onto an apartment owner's balcony with the owner present and give a toast to Redford (the trainer) down below within minutes/seconds, was inspired from Mossad's officer training program.

The movie is action packed and is very "smart" and "sharp" and I highly recommend it. June 22, 2008

Spy Game

This is a film I've been wanting for a long time but I really got stung with this purchase ! The Format is HD DVD which, I found out AFTER I opened the package and attempted to view it, not only does not work with MY DVD Player, is apparently in a Format that is destined for the cemetary. I'm Sure Amazon was aware of that fact when they listed it for sale and, in fact, it Was identified as being HD DVD. However, to a neophyte like me, it didn't "Ring a Bell" that I wouldn't be able to play it without a special HD DVD player. A Prominent Warning would have been a Nice thing to do. NOW, I'm stuck with it because "opened" merchandise cannot be returned for a Refund.
June 2, 2008

An excellent Redford performance

This is one Robert Redford performance I really enjoy. He has created a number of memorable characters during his long career but this role is so intelligently crafted and played with utter sincerity that it is for me a standout. Redford is a CIA employee at the end of his career and the film shows his career over a number of years as it interacts with Brad Pitt, who is an idealistic assassin. Redford's bosses want information on Pitt and are questioning Redford and the mind games commence. It is unusual to find a Hollywood movie with intelligent writing and I appreciated the convincing script here. The one major factor that undermines the film is a sappy music score by Harry Gregson which is a distraction just when it needs to be supportive of the action. But if you can get around the annoying boy soprano who shows up singing the same theme several times during the story you will see a superior performance from Robert Redford in a story that makes you think. May 29, 2008

Could have be good but cheapened by pervasive and unnecessary and childish background music

Not much to add to all the other reviews except that the effects and good acting were totally spoilt by the ever present and irritating music in the background. Every scene has some form of annoying music which changes in an ad hoc fashion. There is no need for it and in the end cheapens the movie - I could not wait for it to end - it irritated me so much Such a pity - two good actor messed up by the sound effects people. I felt so relieved in the few parts that had no artificial background noise. May 28, 2008

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