What a disappointment! After watching the film, there is a very good reason that actual names were not used - other than general similarities to circumstance, this is entirely a work of fiction.Even a fictionalized account (inspired by the McClean story) could have been entertaining if had successfully delivered an historically accurate context (forget accuracy). There could have been a story of complex emotions, motivations and consequences but instead, you get a superficial drama that misses its mark or worse, doesn't even aim at the interesting targets.This is a true waste of talent for such a great cast.

This film teaches you about love vs life. What is more important to you, serving for cold blooded organization or your family? The film starts brilliantly explaining who Leo is and the real human in him. Leo is a mere person (like anyone of us) who is torn between loyal work and his love. In actuality I think Leo is a classic example to all mankind that love comes before work. Life is as short as the length of this film, hence its best to choose love (in this case Sally). What did Leo achieve? Loosing his family to an honorable award from the Russians. My suggestion to all of you: Please choose your family over work, boss, money, and fame. Begin your choices right, only then will you die happy (unlike Leo).The film has excellent concept of cinematography and film quality. It is shot in the format of old times and the costumes, location sets are perfectly chosen to create the right kind of mood. Sharon Stone is in her best form compared to her previous film "Basic Instinct". If she continues to choose roles such as Sally, then it will lead her to a more professional and recognized acting career.I recommend anyone to watch this film (especially) young hot blooded men in Universities having an ambition in life. This film is deep and hold true to the accounts of Sally and Leo who are inbuilt in all of us. Please do yourself a favor and watch it with your love or your wife/husband.I applaud the screenplay writer and the director.My score 8/10.NEIL BHATIA

Who knew Sharon Stone would look so great as a brunette? She is incredibly beautiful in this film about a true story that took place in the 1960s. I don't know too much about the cold war, during which this story takes place, so I won't mention too much about the politics of the times.Sharon Stone plays this woman who falls deeply in love with a handsome British gentleman, played by Rupert Everett. She leaves her husband to be with this mysterious gentleman and they get married and lived quite happily for about four years until one day, her husband walks out the door and never comes back home. Sally (character played by Sharon Stone) searches for her husband and finds out her husband has defected to Russia. Thus begins her earnest quest to bring her husband out of the Soviet Union and back to Britain.Sharon Stone was so good in this film! She made me admire her character's strength. The love story between Sharon Stone's character and Rupert Everett's character was very convincing. I was startled by the eroticism of the lovemaking scenes between these two actors. That's what made the ending of the film so heartbreaking to me, that these two people who loved each other so much, had vastly different loyalties.The story is a true story, and it's very sad. This film is good to watch because of the actors. Sharon Stone is such a stand out in this film. Rupert Everett was extremely sympathetic in this film in spite of the fact that he defected to Russia. I really liked the characters very much and I was moved by the pain these two people went through. I'll remember this film for a long time.Not a bad rental at all.

Watching this movie was a very disappointing experience. The premise was good (like with most movies out there), but the execution was just atrocious, and the story was unrealistic at best. For example, the movie shows us that a westerner was allowed to go in and out of Soviet Union, as well as go though streets of Moscow without any surveillance in the midst of cold war!!Moreover, the actors seemed like they were made out of wood in terms of expressiveness. The story was painfully slow and was heading nowhere, really: nothing changed nor happened though the entire movie...Funny how our protagonists had a view at the Basilica of Christ the Saviour in early 70s (Destroyed in early 20th century, restored in late 90s by the mayor of Moscow)... This and many other anachronisms give out the fact that the production team didn't even research the subject of their work before filming...2/10