The Saint (1997)

Simon Templar (The Saint), is a thief for hire, whose latest job to steal the secret process for cold fusion puts him at odds with a traitor bent on toppling the Russian government, as well as the woman who holds its secret.

Director:

Phillip Noyce

Writers:

Leslie Charteris (character), Jonathan Hensleigh (story)

Stars:

Val Kilmer, Elisabeth Shue, Rade Serbedzija

1 win & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Val Kilmer	...	Simon Templar
Elisabeth Shue	...	Dr. Emma Russell
Rade Serbedzija	...	Ivan Tretiak
Valeriy Nikolaev	...	Ilya Tretiak (as Valery Nikolaev)
Henry Goodman	...	Dr. Lev Botvin
Alun Armstrong	...	Inspector Teal
Michael Byrne	...	Vereshagin, Tretiak's Aide
Evgeniy Lazarev	...	President Karpov (as Evgeny Lazarev)
Irina Apeksimova	...	Frankie (as Irina Apeximova)
Lev Prygunov	...	General Sklarov (as Lev Prigunov)
Charlotte Cornwell	...	Inspector Rabineau
Emily Mortimer	...	Woman on Plane
Lucija Serbedzija	...	Russian Prostitute
Velibor Topic	...	Skinhead
Tommy Flanagan	...	Scarface

Storyline

Simon Templar has no real family, no real home and Simon Templar isn't even his real name. Yet Simon Templar, also known as the Saint for his use of creating false identities using the names of Catholic saints, is one of the world's most successful thieves. Slick, debonair and a master of disguise, Simon manages to outwit the police again and again. On his next job Simon is hired by the Russian Mafia to steal a cold fusion energy formula from scientist Emma Russel, however the mission backfires as he falls for the pretty, intelligent scientist. Simon and his new love must now manage to outwit the Russian Mafia and work out the energy formula before the worst happens and the US is affected forever.

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Plot Keywords:

knights templar | cold fusion | fusion | the saint | thief | 

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Taglines:

A man without a name, can never be identified. A man who doesn't exist, can never be caught. A man who doesn't love, can never truly be alive

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Romance | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for action violence, brief strong language, some sensuality and drug content

Details

Official Sites:

Paramount Pictures

Country:

USA

Language:

English Russian

Release Date:

4 April 1997 (USA)

Also Known As:

El Santo

Filming Locations:

Moscow, Russia

Box Office

Budget:

$68,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$16,278,873, 6 April 1997, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$61,363,304, 31 December 1997

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$108,060,970

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures, Rysher Entertainment, Mace Neufeld Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

116 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital DTS

Color:

Color (Rankcolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

For the climatic riot scene, actual newsreel footage from similar protest rallies were intermixed with the new footage they shot. In order to make the new and the old look alike, the new footage had to be degraded in quality, to more closely match the old television footage.

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Goofs

While fleeing "Tretiak's goons" on the rooftop of the apartment building, Simon is wearing a black hat. When he follows Emma through the roof access, the hat has disappeared and his hair is perfectly styled.

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Quotes

Emma Russell: When am I going to see you again?
Simon: I'll find you, you found me.

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Crazy Credits

In Loving Memory Elisabeth Leustig (She was the film's Casting Director who was tragically killed in a car accident on a Moscow street during production.)

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Connections

Referenced in MovieBerto: El Santo (2015)

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Soundtracks

Atom Bomb
Written and Performed by Fluke
Courtesy of Circa Records Ltd.

User Reviews

"You don't believe any of this cold fusion mumbo jumbo do you"

The Saint starring Val Kilmer is one of my all time favourites I can watch it again and again and again!

The Saint is hired by Russian gangsters to get a secret cold fusion formula from a brilliant, beautiful and young scientist played by Elisabeth Shue. Anyway he falls in love and has to outwit the dangerous gangsters.

Val Kilmer plays the eccentric master thief the Saint who has a dark past and an impressive talent for disguise. All the different characters the Saint disguises himself as are memorable. I personally like heroes with a dark past who aren't perfect and have suffered to become who they are today.

The chemistry on screen between Val Kilmer and Elisabeth Shue is excellent - and well Elisabeth Shue is beautiful! This is such a fun feel good film (although it does have dark elements to it) that gets better every time I watch it and personally I do find some characters touching especially the Saint himself who Val Kilmer plays perfectly.

This film has a bit of everything - romance, comedy, drama, suspense and action and is definitely worth renting and is definitely in my collection!