CIA espionage agent Nathan Muir (Robert Redford), on his last day before retirement, learns that his protégé, Tom Bishop (Brad Pitt), has been taken prisoner by the Chinese government and is about to be executed for spying. While giving a report on Bishop to agents unwilling to help, Muir attempts behind the scenes manuevers to help.
This appears to be a casually slick and superficial genre movie with enjoyable twists and turns. In fact, though, it's a well-filmed (and slick) character piece. The relationship between Redford and Pitt is the core of the movie. Pitt is sometimes a marvelous actor, and sometimes a dreadful one, but the roll of the dice favored him in Spy Game and he is incredibly solid and watchable. Meanwhile it's also a spy movie about spying, and about spy movies, more than it is a particular espionage piece. This sounds thoughtful and introspective but it isn't. Spy Game is another "stupid action movie," but with a soul.
This appears to be a casually slick and superficial genre movie with enjoyable twists and turns. In fact, though, it's a well-filmed (and slick) character piece. The relationship between Redford and Pitt is the core of the movie. Pitt is sometimes a marvelous actor, and sometimes a dreadful one, but the roll of the dice favored him in Spy Game and he is incredibly solid and watchable. Meanwhile it's also a spy movie about spying, and about spy movies, more than it is a particular espionage piece. This sounds thoughtful and introspective but it isn't. Spy Game is another "stupid action movie," but with a soul.