Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
George Segal | ... | Tim Shaver | |
Cristina Raines | ... | Bogna Kirchoff | |
Bo Brundin | ... | Colonel Sergei Vostik | |
Denholm Elliott | ... | John Petapiece | |
Gordon Jackson | ... | Brian Hardison | |
Peter Donat | ... | Inspector McDermott | |
Richard Romanus | ... | Raymond Ragulia | |
Nigel Stock | ... | Ferguson | |
Val Avery | ... | Rudolf Henke | |
Louise Fletcher | ... | Midge | |
Graham Jarvis | ... | Benson | |
Constantine Gregory | ... | Samuel (as Constantin De Goguel) | |
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Jacques Sandulescu | ... | Gorki |
Walter Marsh | ... | Taggart (as Wally Marsh) | |
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Hagan Beggs | ... | Kavinsky |
During the 1970s, on the eve of Soviet leader's official visit to Canada, the Soviet Ambassy alerts the Canadian authorities to the existence of a Latvian immigrant who may plan to kill the visiting Soviet leader.The Soviets explain that Latvian immigrant Rudolf Henke is bitter over Latvia's treatment by the USSR and that he may attempt to assassinate the visiting Soviet leader in Vancouver, Canada.The Soviets request that Henke be kidnapped by the Canadian police to prevent him from any wrongdoing.Commander Petapiece of the Special Branch of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police assigns Corporal Tim Shaver to kidnap Rudolf Henke.This seems to be the only solution since the Canadian government fears political backlash from publicly detaining such a high profile political agitator without any concrete evidence of criminal activity from his part.The Canadians want to accommodate the Soviet requests in order to keep good bilateral relations with the USSR.When Corporal Tim Shaver of the RCMP ... Written by nufs68
...than to invest ninety minutes of viewing on this apparently little-known political/espionage work. (I'd likely have gone 7.5 out of 10 if possible, if 8 might be a bit much.)
Anyway, I wouldn't fully disagree with the more unfavorable reviews already posted here, and I will further grant that there are a few, some not-so-minor, loose plot threads that remain unanswered before curtain, and that the whole finale would never have gone down that way.
Still, overall, I conclude differently. The acting doesn't go overboard, and the writing is about as tight as is reasonably possible, while avoiding over-exposition. So if the plot isn't spoon-fed and in fact takes some time to become clear ("clear"), let's consider that Segal's character is probably in a bit over his head; sure, he's RCMP, but one suspects his billet is not *quite* at the "KGB assassination plot" level. He's been blindsided by the twists and trying to work it all out as he goes along...just like the audience is. I found that pretty enjoyable, actually...
And I appreciated the use of unassuming VFW-class drinkeries, city streets-cum-roller hockey rinks, and interchangeable neighborhood Chinese restaurants as settings, not glittering casinos and ivory tower CEO lairs and the banks of the Riviera. A good RCMP officer would likely have honed his craft on the former, and caught the latter only on the silver screen.
Again, you can do far worse. Don't pay to watch it, but don't avoid it either.