This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

An interesting cast is the only good thing about HIDDEN AGENDA, a boring and dated Canadian thriller released in 1999 with some of the technological mumbo-jumbo that filled turn-of-the-century thrillers back in the day; there's some stuff about a stolen computer disk, for instance. The setting is Germany, where an ever-youthful Kevin Dillon (of THE BLOB fame) investigates his brother's murder and comes up against a murky conspiracy. The film is cheap and dated looking and it's hard to believe that in just three years time THE BOURNE IDENTITY would come out and revitalise the genre. Cast-wise, we get turns from the underrated Michael Wincott, old-timer Christopher Plummer (who at least seems to be enjoying himself) and the great J.T. Walsh, for whom this was sadly his last role before his untimely death.

I had never heard of "Hidden Agenda" and probably never would've if it hadn't been on 4-movie compilation DVD I recently bought called "SCI-FI COLLECTOR'S SET." After watching the film I wonder why it's included on a "Sci-Fi" DVD, because "Hidden Agenda" has absolutely no science-fiction elements whatsoever, it's a fairly standard spy/espionage caper. I didn't mind, as I also happen to like these types of films when they're done well. UN-fortunately, "Hidden Agenda" is not one of those films.David McLean (Kevin Dillon) travels to Berlin, Germany, to meet his estranged brother, whom he hasn't seen in several years. Unfortunately when he arrives at the airport he's met by some folks from the American embassy, who sadly report to him that his brother was killed in an "auto accident" the night before. We the viewers know that it was no accident, as we saw his brother Michael get in a shoot out and then blown up in a car before the opening credits even rolled. As Dillon goes through his brother's possessions, it becomes clear to him that his bro was in the middle of some shady business. Eventually it becomes clear that his brother was working for the CIA and was in possession of a computer disc that could be embarrassing to people on both sides of the former Iron Curtain, and therefore a lot of bad guys want the disc. David and his new friend Monika (Andrea Roth) spend the rest of the movie running from one place to another, getting shot at and being chased by a variety of bad guys. For a movie with so much going on you'd expect it to be action packed but it's not. It's very slow and talky and even though the film is only about 100 minutes long it seems to run about twice that.There's nothing wrong with any of the performances; Dillon and Roth make a good team and there's able support from such dependable character actors as the late J.T. Walsh as an American Embassy employee who may or may not be on Dillon's side and the great Christopher Plummer as a crusty old German detective. However, the pieces of "Hidden Agenda" never really come together.This could've been a tight, compact thriller but "Hidden Agenda" rambles on way too long and in too many directions for its own good. Pass on this one.

Brawny Kevin Dillon (as David McLean) takes a plane to Germany, where he plans to meet his estranged brother. Upon arrival, he is told what we've seen open the film, that brother Rod Wilson (as Michael McLean) blew up in a car. Mr. Dillon identifies his brother's burned-beyond-recognition body by observing his tattooed arm. You'd be suspicious, and Dillon is too. He discovers his brother was (is?) tied up in a web of espionage. The Berlin morgue makes room for more bodies, as unsavory types search for a missing computer disk, thought to be in one of the McLean brothers' possession.Dillon befriends pretty blonde motorcycling Andrea Roth (as Monika Engelmann) who, of course, is also interested in finding the disk. Supporting actors Christopher Plummer (as Ulrich Steiner), J.T. Walsh (as Jonathan Zanuck), and Michael Wincott (as Larry Gleason) give the picture some weight. Mr. Plummer works out of the Berlin police department; in a sex shop, he suggests a nuns in bondage video. Mr. Walsh and Mr. Wincott are situated at the American Embassy. Wincott is soft-spoken, but powerful. This was dependable character actor Walsh's last filmed appearance. So, Iain Paterson's "Hidden Agenda" is, appropriately, "Dedicated to the memory of J.T. Walsh." **** Hidden Agenda (1998) Iain Paterson ~ Kevin Dillon, Andrea Roth, J.T. Walsh

Simply put, The movie asks a lot of the viewer. If you play along there are moments to be appreciated. It's easy to follow, but...you need to participate fully.Matt Dillon, Christopher Plummer, Paul Soles, J.T. Walsh are some great actors. They held up their parts I believe....so that leaves the writer, editor and director to account for the lack of ??? Flow maybe. Pace? There are some scenes which seem out of place or maybe they're uneeded. I'm clearly not an insider or movie production buff...but it feels like the Special Features "Making of..." might have been more entertaining.There clearly is potential given the basic storyline....but for whatever reason...it didn't make it to the final product. In my mind, a post war thriller is a fairly easy story.