It’s not how you play the game. It’s how the game plays you.|Nov. 18, 2001|United States | Germany | Japan | France | United Kingdom|126 Min.|R
Genre: Action;Crime;Thriller
Description: In 1991, as the United States and China are on the verge of finalizing a major trade agreement, the CIA discovers that their operative, Tom Bishop, has been arrested and is set to be executed within 24 hours unless the U.S. intervenes. Bishop’s unsanctioned actions threaten to derail the agreement, prompting the CIA to call upon Nathan Muir, a seasoned case officer and Bishop’s mentor, who is about to retire. The CIA executives interview Muir to uncover Bishop’s background while seeking a reason to avoid intervening in his case. Unbeknownst to them, Muir has already been informed of Bishop’s capture by a fellow CIA veteran in Hong Kong.
Muir discreetly leaks the story to CNN through an MI6 contact, hoping public pressure will compel the U.S. government to act. However, the CIA’s deputy director manages to dismiss the story as a hoax, stalling Muir’s efforts.
The narrative shifts to flashbacks, detailing Muir and Bishop’s history. In 1975, Bishop, a Marine Scout Sniper during the Vietnam War, is recruited by Muir for a mission to eliminate a high-ranking North Vietnamese officer, showcasing his skills and bravery. Impressed, Muir recruits Bishop as a CIA operative in Berlin in 1976, where he excels in securing assets in East Germany. Later, during the 1985 War of the Camps in Beirut, Muir and Bishop’s partnership is tested as Bishop struggles with Muir’s ruthless principle of sacrificing civilian assets for the “greater good.”
As tensions rise, Bishop defies Muir’s orders to save an asset, leading Muir to warn him that he would not rescue Bishop if he were captured while acting independently. The film weaves together their complex relationship, Bishop’s perilous situation, and Muir’s strategic maneuvers to save his protégé.
Cast director: Tony Scott
Cast actor: Robert Redford, Brad Pitt, Stephen Dillane, Larry Bryggman, Catherine McCormack, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Amidou, Charlotte Rampling, Matthew Marsh, Todd Boyce
Original name: Spy Game