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Spy Game

  • 20012001
  • RR
  • 2h 6m
IMDb RATING
7.0/10
156K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
3,005
275
Brad Pitt and Robert Redford in Spy Game (2001)
  • Action
  • Crime
  • Thriller
Retiring CIA agent Nathan Muir recalls his training of Tom Bishop while working against agency politics to free him from his Chinese captors.Retiring CIA agent Nathan Muir recalls his training of Tom Bishop while working against agency politics to free him from his Chinese captors.Retiring CIA agent Nathan Muir recalls his training of Tom Bishop while working against agency politics to free him from his Chinese captors.
IMDb RATING
7.0/10
156K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
3,005
275
  • Director
    • Tony Scott
  • Writers
    • Michael Frost Beckner(story)
    • David Arata(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Robert Redford
    • Brad Pitt
    • Catherine McCormack
Top credits
  • Director
    • Tony Scott
  • Writers
    • Michael Frost Beckner(story)
    • David Arata(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Robert Redford
    • Brad Pitt
    • Catherine McCormack
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 414User reviews
    • 95Critic reviews
    • 63Metascore
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 3 nominations

    Photos88

    Brad Pitt and Robert Redford in Spy Game (2001)
    Brad Pitt in Spy Game (2001)
    Brad Pitt and Robert Redford in Spy Game (2001)
    Brad Pitt and Robert Redford in Spy Game (2001)
    Robert Redford in Spy Game (2001)
    Robert Redford in Spy Game (2001)
    Brad Pitt in Spy Game (2001)
    Brad Pitt in Spy Game (2001)
    Robert Redford and Stephen Dillane in Spy Game (2001)
    Spy Game (2001)
    Brad Pitt, Robert Redford, and Catherine McCormack in Spy Game (2001)
    Brad Pitt and Robert Redford in Spy Game (2001)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Robert Redford
    Robert Redford
    • Nathan Muiras Nathan Muir
    Brad Pitt
    Brad Pitt
    • Tom Bishopas Tom Bishop
    Catherine McCormack
    Catherine McCormack
    • Elizabeth Hadleyas Elizabeth Hadley
    Stephen Dillane
    Stephen Dillane
    • Charles Harkeras Charles Harker
    Larry Bryggman
    Larry Bryggman
    • Troy Folgeras Troy Folger
    Marianne Jean-Baptiste
    Marianne Jean-Baptiste
    • Gladys Jennipas Gladys Jennip
    Matthew Marsh
    Matthew Marsh
    • Dr. Byarsas Dr. Byars
    Todd Boyce
    Todd Boyce
    • Robert Aikenas Robert Aiken
    Michael Paul Chan
    Michael Paul Chan
    • Vincent Vy Ngoas Vincent Vy Ngo
    Garrick Hagon
    Garrick Hagon
    • Cy Wilsonas Cy Wilson
    Andrew Grainger
    • Andrew Ungeras Andrew Unger
    Bill Buell
    Bill Buell
    • Fred Kappleras Fred Kappler
    Colin Stinton
    Colin Stinton
    • Henry Pollardas Henry Pollard
    Ted Maynard
    • CIA Administratoras CIA Administrator
    Tom Hodgkins
    • CIA Lobby Guardas CIA Lobby Guard
    Rufus Wright
    Rufus Wright
    • Folger's Secretaryas Folger's Secretary
    Demetri Goritsas
    Demetri Goritsas
    • Billy Hylandas Billy Hyland
    Quinn Collins
    • OPS Center Security Officeras OPS Center Security Officer
    • Director
      • Tony Scott
    • Writers
      • Michael Frost Beckner(story) (screenplay)
      • David Arata(screenplay)
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The scene where Robert Redford's character asks Brad Pitt's character if he knew anybody in 'this apartment house' and tells him to be up on one of the balconies in five minutes is from a book by former Mossad agent Victor Ostrovsky who describes this test as part of the training of a Mossad agent.
    • Goofs
      When Duncan is negotiating with Deng, he clearly tells Muir "Deng wants five-hundred-thousand YUAN for the power out in Su Chou." In 1991, this would have been about $95,500 U.S. dollars, so when Muir counter-offers and says "No way. Tell him $100K and I'll pay him in dollars," he is offering more than Deng asked for. The final price, $282,000USD, would have been approximately 1,500,000 yuan in 1991.
    • Quotes

      Nathan Muir: [inside a CIA briefing room] When I was a kid I used to spend summers on my uncle's farm. And he had this plow horse he used to work with everyday. He really loved that plow horse. One summer she came up lame. It could barely stand. The vet offered to put her down. You know what my uncle said?

      Charles Harker: [inside a CIA briefing room] No, Muir, what did he say?

      Nathan Muir: [inside a CIA briefing room] He said, why would I ask somebody else to kill a horse that belonged to me?

    • Crazy credits
      In the opening credits, many of the credits are each preceded by a jumble of letters flickering on the screen. This may be a reference to the opening credit sequence of one of Robert Redford's earlier spy movies, Sneakers (1992).
    • Connections
      Featured in The Making of 'Spy Game' (2001)
    • Soundtracks
      Rocky Mountain Way
      Written by Rocke Grace, Kenny Passarelli (as Ken Passarelli), Joe Vitale (as Joey Vitale), Joe Walsh

      Performed by Joe Walsh

      Courtesy of MCA Records

      Under license from Universal Music Enterprises

    User reviews414

    Review
    Top review
    7/10
    Not just another Tony Scott action film--it's complex, thought-provoking. *** (out of four)
    SPY GAME / (2001) *** (out of four)

    Tony Scott is known for his big budget, fast-paced, action-packed extravaganzas. His latest film, "Spy Game" is no exception. He takes advantage of a massive budget, but loses sight of human comprehension. It's difficult to grasp his moral when it's awash in a superficial style where individual shots seldom last more than thirty seconds, and where dialogue never exceeds the length of a short paragraph. There's not much time to introduce characters, situations, or even locations-datelines appear on the screen to identify times and places.

    Yet, it doesn't just feel as if we are in another movie by Tony Scott-everything feels very real. The danger is real. The characters are real. Many action films are about the action, special effects, and car chase sequences. "Spy Game" does contain those things, but they are in a focused, tight, evocative thriller. This movie is about the characters, not the action. It never forgets that.

    "Spy Game" contains a complex structure. We begin in 1991. Veteran CIA officer Nathan Muir (Robert Redford) prepares for retirement. On his last day, he learns that his one-time protégé, Tom Bishop (Brad Pitt), has been captured in a foreign prison on a charge of espionage and will be executed in 24 hours. Fearing international crisis, the CIA decides it would be too risky to save him. But with a new generation in control of the agency, Nathan is no longer an insider. He must outsmart his own agency in order to save his old friend.

    Most of the film plays out in flashbacks as the CIA digests valuable information from Muir. The movie spans from the Vietnam war to the end of the Cold War, with years ranging from 1965 to about 1991 (although the characters don't seem to age much). We learn Nathan chose Tom as a sharpshooter in Vietnam. He trained with Bishop. They formed a close bond, until something came between them-a woman.

    The forty-year span in time poses no problem for "Spy Game." The engaging screenplay, by Michael Frost Beckner and David Arata, focuses on only the necessary characters. The soundtrack, by Harry Gregson-Williams, masterfully captures the various time periods, spicing the scenes with a slick sense of style and intrigue. The cinematography by Daniel Mindel makes the differences in location clear. Christian Wagner's editing gives the movie a frenzied, almost rushed emotion, that puts us right in the middle of the race against time.

    Pitt and Redford retain their ground, despite a thick style. Redford creates a character out of nothing. We know little about him at the beginning, and we know little about him at the end. But he somehow gives his character a conscience, human values, and a lot of interest. We care about him because we do not like the black and white CIA operatives. Thus, we care about Pitt's character as well. Pitt gives his character an immature nature. He is in a stereotypical young hotshot role that might have fit him better a few years ago, but he still creates a grave sense of panic and fear.

    With a structure like this, we expect subplots to evolve from the flashbacks. There is an intriguing terrorist story. A love story. Themes about betrayal, trust, position, friendship, commitment…but "Spy Game" never slows down and allows us to absorb these important details. By the end, we feel exhilarated, and we know we just watched a very smart, well-crafted film, but the most we can take from it is that it is a very smart, well-crafted film. I think, beneath all the style and surface, there is a little more to the movie than that.
    helpful•86
    25
    • Movie-12
    • Jan 2, 2002

    FAQ6

    • How many wives did Nathan Muir actually have?
    • Who is Harry Duncan?
    • What was Operation Sideshow?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • November 21, 2001 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • United States
      • Germany
      • Japan
      • France
      • United Kingdom
    • Languages
      • English
      • German
      • Arabic
      • French
      • Cantonese
    • Also known as
      • Spygame
    • Filming locations
      • Budapest, Hungary
    • Production companies
      • Universal Pictures
      • Beacon Pictures
      • Kalima Productions GmbH & Co. KG
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $115,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $62,362,560
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $21,689,125
      • Nov 25, 2001
    • Gross worldwide
      • $143,049,560
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 6 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
      • Black and White
    • Sound mix
      • DTS
      • Dolby Digital
      • SDDS
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.39 : 1

    Related news

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