I saw 'Missing' for the first time the other night. I was 12 when 'Missing' was released in theaters, too young to understand about the cold war paranoia and political brinksmanship of the CIA and the American government at work in Chile during the 1970's. Unlike other 80's political thrillers like "Under Fire", "Salvador" and "Target", 'Missing' is a movie less about action than it is about a father who realizes he has been betrayed by his own beliefs and government.
Jack Lemmon gives another standout performance (in a career that had many) as the uptight father that learns to accept his son only after his suspected death. The emotional evolution from devout christian/disapproving dad to grieving father with 'opened eyes' is engaging to watch. Sissy Spacek shows the strength that should have won her a second oscar 2001 for "In The Bedroom" as the wife who never stops looking for her husband. But the clear winner in this politcal thriller is the director Costa Gravas, who constantly keeps the politcal tension high, without upstaging the performances of the leads.
A great drama that deal with life/death and the bond between parents and their children.
