Spy Game Review

For some weeks, the most interesting thing about Spy Game was its MIA status. Normally, this might suggest a movie in trouble, but although Tony Scott’s political thriller — equal parts Tom Clancy and John Le Carré — fails to break any new ground, it is solid, intelligent entertainment boasting real star power. Redford is the veteran spy who, armed with only a phone, must battle CIA politics to rescue former pupil Pitt, who has been captured by the Chinese. Taken as a companion piece to Scott’s Enemy Of The State (that was the FBI, this is the CIA), Spy Game lacks the simple, dramatic urgency of the earlier movie — we are on the clock here, but still we still find time for three flashbacks? However, Scott’s visual style fashions distinct geo-political regions, while the global reach is high on ambition and actually accrues resonance in the current climate.