Spy Game (2001)
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A veteran CIA officer must navigate a high-stakes game of deception to save his former protégé from a Chinese prison.
The story
In 1991, the United States and China are close to a major trade agreement. The CIA learns that its asset, Tom Bishop, has been arrested at a People's Liberation Army prison in Suzhou and faces execution in 24 hours. Because Bishop's actions were unsanctioned, they risk the trade deal. A group of CIA executives summons Nathan Muir, a veteran case officer and Bishop's mentor, who is about to retire. While the executives seek a pretext for not intervening, Muir is secretly working to create public pressure to force an American intervention, leading to a tense confrontation between the two men and their respective loyalties.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1991, the CIA learns that asset Tom Bishop is imprisoned in China and faces execution in 24 hours. His actions threaten a major trade deal between the U.S. and China. Veteran officer Nathan Muir, Bishop's mentor, is summoned by executives. While they believe they are interviewing him for his retirement, Muir is secretly coordinating with an MI6 contact to leak the story to the press to force a rescue. The film uses flashbacks to reveal their history: they served together in the Vietnam War, West Berlin, and Beirut. It is revealed that Bishop's past actions involved a woman named Elizabeth Hadley, whom Muir sacrificed for the 'greater good' in the past. In the present, Muir realizes Bishop's current predicament is linked to Hadley. Muir orchestrates a complex series of misdirections and a secret 'Operation Dinner Out' to rescue both Bishop and Hadley. He successfully deceives his superiors while coordinating a secret extraction. In the end, Bishop is rescued and realizes Muir saved him, while the CIA officials are only informed of the success after the fact.
- First release year
- 2001
- Runtime (minutes)
- 126
- Production countries
- United States; France; United Kingdom; Germany; Japan
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Tony Scott
- Writers
- Michael Frost Beckner · screenplay; David Arata · screenplay; Michael Frost Beckner · story
- Cast and characters
- Robert Redford · Nathan Muir; Brad Pitt · Tom Bishop; Catherine McCormack · Elizabeth Hadley; Stephen Dillane · Harry Duncan; Larry Bryggman · Charles Harker; Garrick Hagon · Cy Wilson; Benedict Wong · Tran; Amidou · Dr. Ahmed
- Genres
- action; thriller
- Tone and mood
- tense; serious
- Premise and plot tags
- Cold War; CIA; Prison Escape; Action
- Reception
- The film received mostly positive reviews from critics.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 63 · scale: 100 · review count: 29
- Production trivia
- Brad Pitt passed on playing the title role in The Bourne Identity for this project.; The film was originally to be directed by Mike van Diem.; The film was released on Blu-ray on May 19, 2009.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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