November 23, 2001 -- Most spy movies are composed mainly of car chases, gun fights, gadgets and explosions. "Spy Game" emphasizes brains over bullets and fists. It is a slickly-made film about a more cerebral conflict.

Robert Redford of "The Horse Whisperer" stars as Nathan Muir, a who is cleaning out his office at the CIA on his last day of work before retiring. He learns an old spy friend of his, Tom Bishop, (Brad Pitt of "The Mexican") is in trouble. Bishop has been caught during a rogue operation to free someone from a Chinese prison. The Central Intelligence Agency has decided not to help Bishop, so it is up to Muir to figure something out.

Muir wants to help Bishop, but the biggest thing standing in his way is a clever CIA bureaucrat, Charles Harker (Stephen Dillane of "Welcome to Sarajevo"), who figures out what Muir is up to and intends to stop him. Muir's main ally is his secretary, Gladys Jennip (Marianne Jean-Baptiste of "The Cell"). It isn't easy for Muir to act. Harker can track Muir's phone calls, and can even monitor Muir's bank accounts. While Harker is intelligent and has many CIA resources behind him, Muir has lots of field experience and he knows how to think on his feet. He also has contacts all over the world.

This game is played out like a complicated chess game inside of the CIA headquarters in Langley, Va. The chess pieces involve things like off-shore bank accounts, code words, military assets, probing questions and evasive answers. There is also a very clever shell game being played out. Redford and Dillane are excellent foes. Their acting is all the more impressive because the majority of the conflict between them is mainly illustrated by subtle facial expressions. The rest of the film is most a series of flashbacks explaining the history between Muir and Tom Bishop, a history which dates back to Vietnam. The flashbacks are cleverly worked into the story as a series of accounts told to to Harker and others at mission briefings by Muir. It is almost like two movies in one. The back story part of the movie is like a separate film. The other part of the film is the part which takes place in a single day. It is a race against the clock.

The movie clearly illustrates a climate of paranoia fostered by the spy business. Muir and Harker deeply distrust each other. There is also distrust at the briefings. The people in charge repeatedly refuse to tell Muir what is really going on. I guess they call that "compartmentalization" in the spy business. Harker must assume that much of what Muir tells him is untruthful. Muir also assumes that Harker is working against him. That means they both must try to guess the truth

Director Tony Scott ("Enemy of the State"), editors Geraint Reynolds ("Ravenous") and Christian Wagner ("Mission Impossible II") do a fine job bringing all the pieces of the puzzle together. The pace of the film is fast and Scott (brother of Ridley Scott) does a good job of maintaining tension. A strong musical score by Harry Gregson-Williams ("Spy Kids," "Chicken Run," "Smilla's Sense of Snow," "The Rock") adds a lot of energy to the film, as does the camera work of Daniel Mindel ("Enemy of the State"). While the film is not quite believable, it is very well put together in a very slick package. The acting is solid, including a nice supporting performance by Marianne Jean-Baptiste. The screenplay by Michael Frost Beckner ("The Agency" TV series and "Sniper") is compelling, if a bit formulaic. This film rates a B.

Click here for links to places to buy this movie in video and/or DVD format, the soundtrack, books, even used videos, games and lots of other stuff. I suggest you shop at least two of these places before buying anything. Prices seem to vary continuously. For more information on this film, click on this link to The Internet Movie Database. Type in the name of the movie in the search box and press enter. You will be able to find background information on the film, the actors, and links to much more information.