Best movie ever!

I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

Spy Game (2001): Dir: Tony Scott / Cast: Robert Redford, Brad Pitt, Catherine McCormack, David Hemmings, Stephen Dillane: Superb film about our attitude towards violence and danger. Shown mainly through flashbacks regarding the relationship between Robert Redford and Brad Pitt. When an operation goes wrong an agency wishes to give reason for the Chinese to execute Pitt whom is captured and tortured. Redford acts on behalf of Pitt and is questioned but underneath he is thinking beyond them. We learn that they met in Vietnam and were involved in many combat operations. Pitt became involved with a woman whom Redford viewed as bad news. While formula in structure the film is entertaining and directed with insight by Tony Scott who also made True Romance and The Hunger. Here he does a war film that is a far cry to that overrated farce he made called Top Gun. Redford is clever in his dealings around the corrupt officials who are applying pressure. Pitt is seen mainly through torture segments but flashbacks broaden his back story. Catherine McCormack plays the mysterious woman involved with Pitt whom Redford cannot quite trust. David Hemmings is a fine actor but wasted in a flat role. The film is well made visually but its message doesn't seem to be as played up as the action. The result is an insightful and entertaining film at best. Score: 9 ½ / 10

In 1991, CIA agent Tom Bishop (Brad Pitt) is captured trying to help Elizabeth Hadley (Catherine McCormack) escape Chinese PLA Su Chou prison. Nathan Muir (Robert Redford) on his last day before retirement tries to navigate the politically sensitive situation. He recruited sniper Bishop back in '75 Vietnam for a mission.Director Tony Scott is making a slick espionage movie with two of the greatest stars in the universe. This should be better but it's only passable. Scott is pulling out all the editing tricks to artificially juice up the excitement. I'm not sure it fits the material but it's perfectly watchable. It wants to be an action movie when it's more of a tense chess game.

Part of the story is set in the present as senior CIA people respond to the capture and impending execution of an agent, Tom Bishop (Brad Pitt), who has been caught trying to rescue someone from a Chinese prison, but who, and why? They want to get the personal files of Bishop from Nathan Muir (Robert Redford) who has been Bishop's controller. There is a flashback as Muir tells of meeting Bishop in Vietnam, where Bishop is a sniper, and another when Bishop is recruited when in Berlin.We see the mentor/student relationship develop, we see aspects of both their personalities and also that of the whole CIA culture.When Muir learns that Bishop is at Su Chou prison, he realises who Bishop was trying to rescue and why. There is another flashback to tell about Bishop's meeting with Elizabeth Hadley (Catherine McCormack), and what follows.Hadley is an aid worker at a refugee camp in Beirut where Muir and Bishop have come to assassinate a terrorist commander. Bishop very quickly moves into Hadley's apartment. There is no explicit bed-wrestling, just a couple of early-morning scenes. This low-key approach by the writers makes a much stronger impression. We can see they are deeply committed.But Muir knows about Hadley's background and regards her as a threat both to Bishop and all the CIA's operations, so he organises her abduction and rendition to China.Six years go by. When Bishop is in Hong Kong, he hears about a white woman in a nearby prison and realises it must be his love, hence the rescue attempt, which very nearly succeeds.When Muir hears that the "company" will not even try to negotiate for the release of Bishop, he forges the Director's signature to authorise a "Plan B" that Bishop had prepared, and he uses his life's savings to bribe a power company manager to turn off the lights for thirty minutes. Plan "B" proceeds and succeeds, and Muir can retire happily.Redford and Pitt and McCormack play their parts superbly. They really become the characters. There are some great scenes, with great dialogue. The writers have done a great job, with some neat philosophical gems by Muir. Other actors are also great, Stephen Dillane, Marianne Jean-Baptiste especially.Only rated an 8, mainly because the movie really needs to be seen two or three times to pick up the connections between some incidents.

This is one of the best political thriller movies i have ever watched in my entire lifetime with Robert Redford and Brad Pitt giving knockout performances throughout the entire film. Director Tony Scott really knew what he was doing behind the camera while making this excellent film turn out into being a box office success.Both Redford and Pitt give one of the best performances in both of their entire careers as actors.The movie itself will keep you on the edge of your seat you wouldn't be able to pause the movie if you watch it either on DVD or on TV if you never ever seen this epic thriller before in your entire life. However this picture is on my list for the best movies of 2001.