Review of Spy Game (2001) by Stuart K — 06 Feb 2015

Directed by Tony Scott, who had just come off the spy and espionage themed Enemy of the State (1998), and written by Michael Frost Beckner (Cutthroat Island (1995) and Prince Valiant (1997)), this is a hard-edged spy film with a lot of flash backs and flash forwards.

But, this works against it. You can't deny Scott is perfect to make a film like this, and it is well made, but it's not a film you can fully engage with. In 1991, CIA spy Tom Bishop (Brad Pitt) is caught in China trying to free Englishwoman Elizabeth Hadley (Catherine McCormack).

Bishop will be assassinated in 24 hours unless the U.S. Government claim him. However, if the U.S admit to the Chinese that Bishop is an agent, it would risk jeopardising a potential trade agreement between the U.

S. and China happening in a few days. CIA case officer Nathan Muir (Robert Redford) is asked to come up with a solution, as he recruited Bishop to join the CIA in 1975 just after the Vietnam War. Muir tells his superiors all this and their operations together, and he comes up with a dangerous rescue plan.

With 2 good leads and a top director experienced in films like this, it should have been a success, but it ends up being quite half-hearted and it feels derivative. However, there are scenes with Redford and Pitt together in the flashbacks, and they're the scenes that work the best.