The Company (2007)

Handsomely mounted, epic in scope, and featuring an outstanding cast, TNT's The Company might restore some much-needed luster to the image of the Central Intelligence Agency (then again, perhaps not). Based on Robert Littell's popular historical novel of the same name, the show commingles real and invented characters as it traces the CIA's role in several major events, from the earliest days of the Cold War through the collapse of the Soviet Union, with particular attention given to the division of Berlin into East and West in the 1950s, the anti-Communist uprising in mid-'50s Hungary, and the disastrous Bay of Pigs operation in the early '60s.

The first of the miniseries' three parts introduces us to Yale graduates Jack McAuliffe (Chris O'Donnell), Leo Kritzky (Alessandro Nivola), and Yevgeny Tsipin (Rory Cochrane); the first two are recruited by the CIA, but the Russian-born Tsipin sides with the KGB. The initial focus is on the CIA's efforts to find a Soviet mole who's been interfering with the agency's work and putting many American lives at risk. Working with mentor Harvey "The Sorcerer" Torriti (Alfred Molina), who calls him "Sport" and delights in pointing out that such matters are nothing less than a life-and-death struggle between good and evil and right and wrong, McAuliffe skulks around Berlin, where his principal informant and soon-to-be love interest is a lovely young ballerina (Alexandra Maria Lara) with a few secrets of her own. Meanwhile, back in Washington, the colorfully-named CIA counter-intelligence expert James Jesus Angleton (a real guy portrayed with low-key intensity by Michael Keaton) slowly realizes that the mole in question is one of his old pals. And it doesn't stop there. Turns out there's another double agent (codename "Sasha") working for the Reds; this one's deeply embedded in the CIA, and Angleton, a chain-smoking obsessive whose behavior becomes increasingly cold and peculiar, devotes years (and most of the series' third installment) to outing him. The process by which he does just that, culminating in some fairly excruciating interrogation scenes, provides The Company's best moments--especially because we don't know until the very end whether Angleton has fingered the actual Sasha or not.

Viewers unfamiliar with the CIA's history and methods aren’t likely to be very encouraged by what's depicted here--especially in the second part, in which the agency's misadventures in Hungary and Cuba reveal it (as well as the U.S. government overall) to be not merely ineffective but disastrously inept, as well as shockingly callous and hypocritical when it comes to lending material support to the causes it claims to espouse. Still, the series does a good job with many of the elements common to such fare (Robert De Niro's 2006 film The Good Shepherd covers some of the same ground). Codes are written and deciphered. Secrets are kept… and revealed. Shots are fired, and some of them connect. People die, good and bad alike. And even if some of the scenes are a bit overheated and melodramatic, all in all, The Company (which was written by Ken Nolan, directed by Mikael Salomon, and produced by John Calley and Ridley and Tony Scott) is smart and entertaining. And some of it's even true. --Sam Graham Amazon.com

Enjoyable entertainment

I have not read the book, so this review is not going to tell you how much better the book is. Those are not reviews, as I have yet to find a case where the movie is better than the book and do not think that is possible. What we are going to do is talk about almost five hours of quality entertainment with a story we already know. This is the popular storybook history of the CIA from the 1950s to the fall of communism in the USSR. Starting in post-war Berlin, stopping in Budapest, with a side trip to Cuba we follow the CIA through our times. "We won, didn't we" is a fitting critique of America's performance during the Cold War and the ending line of the movie.
This well-mounted production tries to keep the props right for the times. Older viewers will have fun spotting the small inaccurate items. There are not enough of them to detract from the story but enough to have some fun. The locals look good and correct for the era where the action is taking place. The story line is consistent with what we think happened breaking no new ground and creating no problems. The acting is excellent. The script is believable and the actors make the most of it. Michael Keaton is outstanding as the counter-intelligence boss working to find the agencies mole. In an understated performance, he is the ultimate detail man, feared and distrusted while fearing and distrusting. Alfred Molina turns in a very believable performance as a life-long field man with a serious drinking problem. Here is a careful balance between PTSD and working through the day.
The KGB is not some shadow figure of bad guys lurking outside of our field of vision. They are portrayed as deeply committed to their country. Rory Cochrane turns in a great performance as the young man giving his life to the KGB by spying in America. Chris O'Donnell is his American counterpart giving his life to the CIA by spying wherever he is needed. This move has an excellent ending showing the price these men paid fighting the cold war.
This is NOT a history lesson but an enjoyable five hours of entertainment.
July 1, 2008

Great CIA movie.

The Company is a made for T.V. miniseries that I missed on TNT. I am so happy that this movie is available in home hi-def media. The storyline keeps a frantic pace throughout the movie which kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. This movie has it all. A great cast as well as intrigue. One of Michael Keetons darkest roles since Pacific Heights. I thoroughly enjoyed this film. May 27, 2008

chris o'donnells hairpiece distracts

Just finished watching last night; the mini-series was okay. I liked the Budapest street fights with tanks and the house to house. The Bay of Pigs deal was done pretty good. I also like the small training in Guatemala. However, most of these events were minimized and seemed choppy. Alfred Molina is great in all of his scenes, sure of himself and relxed. I didn't like the way Micheal Keaton subdued his character. Finally, Chris O'Donnells hairpiece kept distracting me in each of his scenes; in both decades. Is he really going bald in real life? That smirk of his was also annoying. Maybe if he would have grown a real mustache later in the series(not fake), his natural aging would have not been an issue. All in all, a good rental, but not for purchase. I got it free for accumulating Coke Reward points: 45 and you get a free Blockbuster movie rental. Since I drink a lot of coke I, it's just a bonus. May 24, 2008

Impressive...very impressive.

I didn't roll into this one with high expectations, even though I love all three of the major actors.

There are three parts to this, and while the first one is a bit slow, the 2nd and 3rd are terrific.

Keaton is a bit annoying at first, but really comes into his own in later episodes. Any of the three show why they are excellent ACTORS.

Great pic (on Blu Ray), first rate production. A lot of care went into this, with having to age the actors across 3 decades. You won't be disappointed. April 26, 2008

great drama, great "mole" twist

Though I have not yet read the book, I do intend to after seeing this mini-series. I agree with some other customer reviewers that many significant events in the time period covered are omitted or glossed over, esp. the assassination of JFK a year after the Bay of Pigs, but the overall tone and mood of the mini-series is realism. I kept gagging everytime I saw Michael Keaton as Angleton puffing away at his cigarettes. The suspense of detecting the mole, and the twist when the mole's identity is revealed, was well-done. It was hard to believe, however, that Chris O'Donnell as McAuliffe and the English woman he befriended in Hungary could heal so completely and relatively blemish-free after the brutal torture and beating they sustained at the hands of the Hungarian secret police. All in all, it's a drama worth watching, and the activities of Yvgeny as a runner for the CIA mole has relevance in today's post-9/11 world. March 3, 2008

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