film: review

> SPY GAME (2001)
With so much material packed into a 2-hour film, you'd think Spy Game would have come unraveled at some point, thankfully it never did.

By John C. Lyons
Film Critic

Starring: Robert Redford and Brad Pitt

Directed by: Tony Scott

Written by: Michael Frost Beckner

Genre: Drama/Thriller

Our Rating: 9 out of 10

Robert Redford is a god in Hollywood, everyone knows that. And Brad Pitt, even though he (sadly enough) has never been formally rewarded, is a great actor. When you put these two guys in a movie together, you know you will, in the least, get some great acting. Now the tough part, taking advantage of this situation and pulling off a great movie. First, you need a storyline that can let both of these actors shine. Then you need a director who knows how to make big movies with big stars. What has Tony Scott directed before you may be asking? How about this list: Crimson Tide, Days of Thunder, Top Gun, Enemy of the State, and True Romance, to name a few. Collaborations like this are often big risks, but Spy Game succeeds from beginning to end.

Spy Game is quite an appropriate title for this film. Redford plays the veteran, master spy (Nathan Muir) and Pitt his star apprentice (Tom Bishop). The film opens with Bishop on a mission in China, which fails, and finds him in a desperate situation. Meanwhile, back in the States, Muir is a day away from retirement when word gets to him of Bishop's capture and approaching execution. Since Muir has been in the game for so long he knows how everything works. We come to learn about how he discovered Tom and about the events that broke them apart. As the movie rolls on, and with as much material that is pumped into this movie its shocking how well it really does roll along, you are trying to figure out who is playing who. The pacing is great and works well with the plot.

As you can probably tell, I was quite impressed with this film. To be honest, I was very surprised with how impressed I was with Spy Game in the end. Redford and Pitt work very well on screen in their teacher/student roles, and one does not outshine the other, which is good. They both play off each other's talents and in the end result the chemistry is just how it should be, perfect. Go see this movie.

I saw this film at the Tinseltown theaters on upper Peach Street in Erie.

PROs: Cast, plot, editing

CONs: I would have liked to see more of Pitt captive in China. Actually my only Cons are that I wanted more! Which really aren't cons.

(01-1208)

related links:

Spy Game - official site