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Spy Game
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 Bishops 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 Pitts
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.