This brad pitt and rob redford spy thriller directed by tony scott he makes this film one of the thirllers of 2001 and one its one hour 15mins it flies by as there was a time when Cia officer nathan muir he play as wise character y redford and his wingman tom bishop played by brad they were inseparable travelling the world and tasting every thing it had to offer from vietnam to beirut in a profession fraight with danger and uncertainty muir and bishop forget an uncommonly close friendship but that was years ago, now in 1991 on the brink of retirement from the agency muir learns that bishop has gone rogue jailed overseas on espionage and is scheduled to die in the next 24 hours muir decides to take on the most dangerous mission and personal mission of his life as bishop got sucked in to the one game that he taught he wouldn't get caught doing as he played the game but game got him instead as muir bishop finds out the hard way operation dinners out is a go go go go . enjoy

Director Tony Scott is no newcomer in directing military thrillers and stories of political intrigue. His past films include Top Gun, Crimson Tide, and Enemy of the State. This is not new ground for actor Robert Redford either. Redford plays Nathan Muir, a CIA operative on his last day on the job. At different points, Redford's character reminded me of his previous characters in All The President's Men, Three Days of the Condor, and Sneakers.In Spy Game, both actor and director live up to the standards set by these previous works, and on occasion even manage to transcend. Redford's Nathan Muir is recruiter and mentor for protégé Tom Bishop (capably portrayed by Brad Pitt). Like this year's Training Day the center of the film is the tension between the cynical, somewhat jaded veteran and the starry-eyed idealist rookie. Like this year's Tailor of Panama or Oliver Stone's Salvador there is a love interest that complicates the relationship between the two men. In an odd twist of casting fate, Catherine McCormack (Braveheart, Dangerous Beauty) plays the love interest in this film and in Tailor of Panama.The central debate that drives the film is the ethics of espionage. What means are justified by particular desired ends? The question is certainly a relevant and important question in the current political context. The plot, in brief, is protégé becomes a rogue spy in order to save his love interest, and veteran becomes a rogue in order to save his protégé.Any good thriller has to have sufficient twists and turns to keep us guessing, and Spy Games does not disappoint. The story is well written and director Scott does a good job of making the story come to life. The performances by Pitt and McCormack are solid performances, but Redford's Nathan Muir is the central character and Redford makes the most of the part. In fact, I have difficulty imagining another acting playing the part after watching Redford at work. The Redford persona that started with the Sundance Kid comes through in the world-weary, somewhat cynical Nathan Muir.I was tempted to review Harry Potter this week (I liked it). For engaging fantasy and escape, Harry Potter is hard to beat. I suspect, however, that Harry Potter fans have already seen the film and Harry Potter detractors will see it when Hogwarts Academy freezes over. If you are ready for a film that will keep you engaged and stimulate conversations about realpolitik in the modern era, or if you want to see Redford at the top of his game, Spy Game is worth a look.

Retiring CIA agent Nathan Muir (Robert Redford) recalls his training of Tom Bishop (Brad Pitt) while working against agency politics to free him from his Chinese captors.This is the perfect role for Robert Redford. After "Day of the Condor" and before "Captain America", this is a great early-2000s spy thriller and Redford has distinguished himself in those roles. This seems like it would pair well with "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy". They are both spies looking back on their career trying to figure things out. Different, yet similar.Pitt is also a great choice because he is in many ways a younger Redford in his personality and presence. Will that continue as Pitt ages? Perhaps. If anything, he has become a bigger player than even Redford managed to be.

Spy Game is almost a good movie. Unfortunately, it fails to pay off on any of its worthwhile ambitions.At first, it seems like some sort of inside look at the 'spy game.' Brad Pitt's character is going to learn something about life and morality, as in a LeCarre thriller. Pitt does eventually make a big realization, but it's abrupt, with very little psychological lead-up. And the subsequent evolution of the story is barely sketched in. Early on, Pitt looks like one type of character. Later, we're told he's another type. The only thing missing is the good stuff in between.Meanwhile, as we see what Redford's character is up to, we're tempted to think this may be some sort of cat-and-mouse intellectual exercise, reminiscent of the brilliant Hopscotch. But Redford's 'cleverness' just isn't all that clever, or even interesting. He reads the back of a memo. He uses the phone in a neighbouring office. He steals a key card. Big deal. Not only are they banal, most of these events (such as his final exit from the film) are completely implausible. Unless you put your brain on 'Park,' you're constantly asking yourself "But wouldn't they see that?" "Couldn't the world's biggest spy organization just send some people to stop him?" "Aren't there procedures that anticipate this sort of simple trick?"And again, as with Pitt, we are left totally in the dark as far as Redford's ultimate change of character. Why does he act against all the weighty advice he gives Pitt early on in his training? We see that he's undergone some sort of transformation, but never given any insight into it. One minute, Redford is an unchanging brick of a character, a bastion of the amoral CIA philosophy. The next, he's a malicious prankster with an over-riding personal morality. This key transformation happens off-screen (like Pitt's), with no explanation. That's not clever, it's just annoying. If I wanted to write my own movie, I wouldn't be watching this one.Along the way, there are endless plot holes. The biggest of all being the basic framework of the story. Why is a committee of CIA top brass sitting around for two days, listening to Redford's reminiscences? Someone says it's to 'get something' on Pitt's character. That's not remotely plausible. We actually see a manufactured press item on the news, at one point, showing how easily the whole problem can be addressed, without listening to hours of Redford's banter, and without giving Redford hours to take action, as he's left to wander unsupervised through CIA headquarters.Spy Game isn't unpleasant to watch. It's nicely produced, with some genuinely interesting episodes. Unfortunately, those episodes fail to connect into a coherent whole. The Redford and Pitt characters are intriguing, but we never learn what makes them tick. They're ciphers at the end just as they were at the beginning.Watching Spy Game is like reading the outline of a movie. A good movie, to be sure. Maybe someone will make it someday.