Review of Sneakers (1992) by Matt D — 26 Aug 2010

I saw this film on ITV a few years ago and the second after I finished watching it I ordered the DVD. This film is a fantastic blend of comedy, drama and suspence. Normally these wouldn't go together at all but they work effortlessly in this smart techno thriller. The main cast is a who's who of Oscar nomanee and Oscar winning performers, so it's no surprise that each of the main characters are incredibly well acted. Redford excels in his role but the real stand out is David Strathairn who portrays the blind sound expert of the team so convincingly that I was surprised to find out he wasn't blind when I first saw it.

It's hard to talk about specific scenes without spoiling the film as there are several surprises. The dialogue is fantastic and there are several small monologues that has everything working perfectly, the actors grab your attention and leave you hanging on their every word. They also seem to relish in their respect roles, the interplay between the principal characters is so believable it's hard to believe that they haven't been friends or working together for a few years.

It's a strange departure for Phil Alden Robinson who is probably best known for Field Of Dreams. But he manages to craft a well directed, intelligent, funny and tense film leaving little time for anyone to question some of the small plot holes.