Spy Game
2001 Directed by Tony Scott
Synopsis
It's not how you play the game. It's how the game plays you.
Veteran spy Nathan Muir is on the verge of retiring from the CIA when he learns that his one-time protégé and close friend, Tom Bishop, is a political prisoner sentenced to die in Beijing. Although their friendship has been marred by bad blood and resentment, Muir agrees to take on the most dangerous mission of his career and rescue Bishop.
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I love spy movies, but I tend to get overly critical when they aim for a 'this is what real spies do' feel. Let's be honest, if we really knew what was going on in the world of espionage, the world of espionage wouldn't be doing its job properly.
Spy Game leans towards that sense if realism in so far that it takes place in the real world and keeps the action rather spartan focussing on what it should be focussing on, telling an intriguing and engaging spy story. In that they succeed for the most part and that is most definitely due to two things, the narrative structure and the Redford/Pitt match up.
I'm glad Scott decided to place…
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Tony never disappoints. He didn't need to intercut an intense roof top dialog scene with a 360 shot from a freakin' helicopter, but he's Tony Scott.
This used to be one of my favourite "this movie is awesome" films. The casting is spot on and it's quite the tear-jerker for an action flick.
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With the sad death of Tony Scott, I felt compelled to complete his filmography. This required only watching REVENGE and SPY GAME, the only two I hadn't seen. SPY GAME is an interesting foot note in his career because he was between styles. He hadn't gotten to his short-attention span mess that was DOMINO, but he was still playing with what made TRUE ROMANCE and ENEMY OF THE STATE good. The story is a bit weak, though the characters are mildly interesting. It's not Scott's best work, but it's worth a watch.
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Though all the characters are as cold as Antarctica( as they are supposed to be, coz they are CIA agents!), I loved the untold fatherly concern that Redford has for Brad Pitt in this. It is really subtle. And also, what a matured sacrifice by him at the end!! A good taut thriller.
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It's scary here how good Robert Redford looks heading into his mid-60's, indeed how well he keeps Spy Game trucking along. It's an unusual espionage thriller in that it plays heavily with a linear narrative, framing what could have been a very dry CIA investigation into a spry, stylish and well crafted look at the life of Cold War intelligence agents, even if it's all very Hollywood and effortlessly sexy under Tony Scott's typically music-video, at times cheesy direction.
If it's depiction of Cold War politics is a little simplistic, though it would like you to believe it complex and sophisticated, it at least makes for some good entertainment. Redford is excellent as suave CIA handler Nathan Muir, about to…
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Tony Scott restrains his camera more than unsual in this solid thriller. It's well-paced, has a good script, and keeps the viewer engaged till the end.
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Vi e me lembro de quase nada.
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Though all the characters are as cold as Antarctica( as they are supposed to be, coz they are CIA agents!), I loved the untold fatherly concern that Redford has for Brad Pitt in this. It is really subtle. And also, what a matured sacrifice by him at the end!! A good taut thriller.
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I'll always remember this as being the first R-rated movie I saw in theaters after I became able to buy tickets by myself. That's also ALL I remember about it. I was probably so excited that I would never be thrown out of an R movie ever again that I couldn't bother paying attention.
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You really can't go wrong with a movie that stars Robert Redford and Brad Pitt(well... Brad 10 years ago). I LOVE spy movies and this is one of my favs. I like how Redfords character sneaks around to help his friend. The ending is fantastic and emotional.
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Publiqué el 25/12/2012:
Estaba viendo con mis hijas "Spy game" (Tony Scott) pero las venció el sueño... (Ya qué; mañana recomenzamos ;-)
2012-12-25 03:43:52 (EST) -
This review reportedly contains spoilers. I can handle the truth.
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This was long due. As part of my wacthing all the Redford-campaign :) I liked it. And partly it was filmed in one of the most beautiful cities in the world, my hometown, my home, for always, Budapest.
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a superb thriller. well plotted. great performances. Robert Redford is fucking excellent. highly underrated in Tony Scott's canon; might be my favorite of his.
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Entertaining. Good direction.