Former FBI agent Naveed Jamali dives into the spy work of Robert Redford and Brad Pitt's Spy Game, addressing how it is an accurate depiction of CIA practices and techniques. The action thriller sees Pitt's CIA operative Tom Bishop arrested and set for execution, as his mentor Nathan D. Muir attempts (Redford) to rescue him while exploring their shared past. Opening third at the box office upon release, Spy Game was mostly positively received but only earned $143 million on a $115 million budget.
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As Insider turns its attention to the world of espionage in their latest "FBI Spy Rates 12 Spy Scenes In Movies And TV | How Real Is It?" video, Jamali looked into how Spy Game depicted the many techniques the CIA employs in their operations. Comparing Bishop and Muir's interaction to his own experience, Jamali dived into the nature of case officers and agents, such as the recruitment process.
The idea that recruitment or the process of recruitment could happen in public, absolutely. Hell yes. You're not going to bring someone into a place where they could be identified by other people as someone working for you. That could essentially blow their cover. For the FBI, in my case, my first meeting with them was in a Dunkin' Donuts in Midtown. So, "Spy Game" doesn't necessarily involve the double agent. I think "Spy Game" is probably one of the better ways that a movie shows the relationship between case officer and operative. And for me, "Spy Game" was, like, a 1:1 ratio of what it was like to work for the FBI.
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Jamali then explained how the occupation's complicated handling of truth is accurately reflected in the discussions between Pitt and Redford's characters, and how the divide between family and assignments can have consequences.
You just heard Robert Redford. He says, "You now told her four things that have to be true. What if she was an asset?" And that is absolutely true, is that even the most mundane thing, you can't lie about it. One of the biggest misnomers that people have about double agent or espionage or being a spy is that you're a liar. You can omit the truth. That's very, very different. You cannot volunteer it. But actively lying, well, that becomes a lie that you have to commit to forevermore. So I love that movie.
I'm going to give it a 10. I think everything about it, in terms of the relationship in "Spy Game" between Brad Pitt, who's the operative, and Robert Redford, who's the case officer, is perfect.
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The Movie Is Stripped Back, Grounded, &Character-Focused
With franchises such as James Bond, Kingsman, and Bourne, it is unsurprising why audiences may have an elevated view of what espionage entails. While Bond is a composite of many experiences and individuals that creator Ian Fleming encountered during his own Naval Intelligence Division career, the character's transition to the screen escalated the theatricality behind the character while envisioning him as a more positive figure. With these changes and the movie's success, others tried to replicate its success.
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Related
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The last decade has produced plenty of exciting spy movies, proving that the genre is in good health even without thinking about James Bond.
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As such, Spy Game is a return to form that strips away the elevated and theatrical elements and returns to a grounded depiction of espionage. Though Bishop and Muir's flashbacks give viewers globe-trotting adventures that they may come to expect of the drama, its focus on the duos dividing ideologies provides an opportunity to dive into the true responsibilities spy work entails. Hence, it's not surprising that the Pitt movie aged well, as evidenced by the movie's 75% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Our Thoughts On Jamali's Spy Game Approval
Spy Game's Appeal Is Its Grounded, Morally Dubious Story
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While Spy Game wasn't a resounding financial success, it is clear from Jamali's response that it is worth celebrating. Alongside its two talented leads, the movie tackles a perspective on espionage that isn't a simple case of black-and-white morality, but a more complex exploration where the path forward isn't always the way that leaves everyone's hands clean. As such, for those looking for a movie that offers something different from what many expect from the genre, Jamali's approval of Spy Game may be able to satisfy that need. Alongside a grounded character drama, the movie is now an authentically approved depiction of CIA practices.
Source: Insider
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Spy Game
R
Action
Crime
Thriller
On the day of his retirement, a veteran CIA agent learns that his former protégé has been arrested in China, is sentenced to die the next morning in Beijing, and that the CIA is considering letting that happen to avoid an international scandal.
Where to Watch
- stream
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*Availability in US
- Director
- Tony Scott
- Release Date
- November 18, 2001
- Writers
- Michael Frost Beckner , David Arata
- Cast
- Robert Redford , Brad Pitt , Catherine McCormack , Stephen Dillane , Larry Bryggman , Marianne Jean-Baptiste
- Runtime
- 126 minutes
- Main Genre
- Action
